Happy to say that I figured out Repetier Host and it is printing like a champ. After finishing the z braces mod, my machine is printing much better and stronger than before.

Now I need to learn to draw.

Congrats on getting it sorted out!

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to print something you designed yourself.

About the easiest program to learn that I have tried is 123D Design from Autodesk. It uses solids in various shapes that can be altered & combined to create new shapes, and parts can be subtracted to create holes or cutouts. it really is a versatile program.

for tutorials on how to use it I found this series very helpful:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOZ-4b … /playlists

Now I need to learn to draw.

there are a couple of ways of doing the temp tower... you can manually adjust the temperature as it builds, or you can edit the g-code to do it automatically at specific layers

Repetier Host has a temperature graph where you can see the temps of both the hotend, and the heated bed if you use it.

Yes, it is a bit of overkill. It is actually a set up/measuring block from my wee machine shop. It is dead flat with a polished surface and I have had it for 3 years and used it about four times so I figured I might as well put it to use.

I never thought of the tower ... I will give that a go.

I must do some more work on Repetier as it has way more control. Maybe next week when I get some more time.

Layer height will definitely make a difference in print times.

sitting on a slab of granite might be a little overkill, but hey, who am I to argue. as long as it is nice and stable & no wobbling.

filament temp is kind of a relative thing - it is going to vary from one machine to another.
The best way to figure out what works for your printer and a given filament is to do a temperature calibration test...basically a tower with temperature changes about every 10mms or so

8 hours?? wow - that is a lot for that model..

On my SD4 with my standard 0.3 layer height, 3 perimeters, 3 top, 3 bottom solid layers, and 25% infill the Bat Buddha only takes 3.5 hours...

My major difference is the layer height ... I use 0.2 as that seems to be the only way I get a good print. Even with the calibration I have done, if I use 0.3, it always looks like I stood 3 feet away and tossed the molten plastic at the build plate.

Also, I am using the Wanhao/Cura software that came with the machine. I am still working at the Repetier Host but I haven't been able to get good results with it so far. I have mainly used it for the manual mode to test extrusion numbers. I know there is something not set quite right, but I haven't found it yet.

Another interesting thing is the few parts that I have printed through both software packages give much faster times for Repetier.

A question ... I have searched a few places including your blog ... what are some of the signs of incorrect printing head temps? I find a bunch of information about the temp for different filaments, but nothing that tells the symptoms to look for.

I am using a PLA print temp of 200c with the bed heating turned off. I get quite a bit of warping on larger parts. I am using blue tape on the bed as well and I get very good adhesion. Will a heated bed help the warping?

Edit In ... Just a quick add on ... I completed the mod to strengthen the tower and I am doing a print as I type to see how it is working. Very quite now and no vibration of any kind. The machine sits on a 3" thick slab of solid granite.

On my SD4 with my standard 0.3 layer height, 3 perimeters, 3 top, 3 bottom solid layers, and 25% infill the Bat Buddha only takes 3.5 hours...

I think I now have the machine very close to where I want it.

there a several other renditions of Buddha as well... including one with the correct head that the others are based on, lol

then - have you done the extrusion calibrations?
printing a single wall box and measuring the wall thickness to calculate the proper extrusion multiplier? (this would be "Part 2" of the links I provided you earlier)

The 2 parts go hand in hand - getting the correct amount in and getting the correct amount out - to get consistent prints.

Also, for a beginner, I would recommend working at a 0.3 layer height until you get things dialed in better.
The Bat Buddha pictured above was done at a 0.3 layer height (0.2963 for Solidoodle) - the whole thing, to the very tips of his bat ears, is only 4 inches tall.

This is where I am at the moment ... I tried to place the parts so the flaws would show.
I seem to have some layering going on ... vibrations maybe?
Some of the surfaces are perfect ... some aren't.

Temp was 205c ... bed heater off.
.15 layer height
print speed was 50

Any suggestions

Yes, Rh can control my printer ... that is how I did the 100 mm test. I will try that first thing in the morning as my evening is full. (Machining no less)

Edit In:

I lied ... It appears I wasn't in the mood to make 3mm bolts after all, so I played with the printer. After 3 changes, it now prints exactly 100 mm when I tell it to. Now, if only I could get it to get me a drink when I want one ...

I did a sample print and it scared me as "Home" wasn't where I was used to so once the print was done, I changed that too.

After two positive results, I am quitting for the night.

Tom

So open RH goto the cofig tab an then click on the firmware eprom tab this opens a window and may let you change settings .
it should show a bunch of gray block with numbers just change the number

Tin

Cheers