1 Topic by chrismetallica1 (edited by chrismetallica1 2015-09-19 13:30:20)

  • chrismetallica1
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Topic: From initial purchase to decent prints (Setup, Calibration and DTI)

Ok so after owning the XYZ 1.0A for a couple of weeks and reading loads online (With a lot of help form this forum) its finally printing really good. So with that I thought I would post a quick list of the issues I encountered so people don't pull their hair out like I did once they buy an XYZ printer

1. Never use the auto calibration EVER!! its poor at best and you will spend ages adjusting the screws. Even with the help of the app you can buy on Amazon

This is the app. Works but its just a pain and isn't that accurate
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1360/13595586/24674603/411662004.jpg

2. Before you even attempt to calibrate it . Turn the printer off pull the X carriage all the way to the front and look at the pulleys. Mine had skipped three teeth on the left hand side (Fixing this will correct offset prints and ovals instead of circles) again I was given this superb link on this forum http://wditech.com/index.php/3d/6-xyzpr … -not-round

3. After fixing the skipped teeth take the side panels off and tighten the x cartridge belts. (you need a T-10 screwdriver) I followed this video once I had pulled the belt forward over the skipped teeth

4. Clean the print nozzle and the bed

5. Level the bed using the bed levelling sticky on this forum http://www.soliforum.com/topic/8408/bed … beginners/ I used a piece of good quality printers paper

6. Test a round print to check you are getting nice tight circles

7. Print out one of these from Thingiverse http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:718768/#files and buy a DTI Gauge. They are only £10 on ebay. I printed it in ABS with 50% infill and thick shell. it took 2 hours 48 minuets. It was the 8mm hole version print. However when the ABS shrunk the hole measured 7.82 on my digital callipers so I did have to slightly sand it down

8. Fit the DTI gauge and measure the runoff over the bed and adjust accordingly. This will get the bed levelled pretty accurately. I fitted the gauge on the carriage and used manual jog to raise the bed to just under the gauge using the 10mm increments. Then dropped to the minimum increment till it just contacted with the gauge. I then set the DTI gauge to 0 and used the jog to measure front to back and then slid the gauge left to right over the rails measuring the total runoff and adjusted accordingly 

That's about it really smile

Now for a few pictures and a test print of a nut and bolt. Nut and bolt run on standard print, normal shell thickness 30%

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1360/13595586/24674603/411661899.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1360/13595586/24674603/411661900.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1360/13595586/24674603/411661901.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1360/13595586/24674603/411661903.jpg

yes it screws together fine and I didn't even do any clean up on it smile

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1360/13595586/24674603/411661892.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1360/13595586/24674603/411661893.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1360/13595586/24674603/411661894.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1360/13595586/24674603/411661895.jpg

All the best

Chris

2 Reply by scobo

  • scobo
  • scobo
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Re: From initial purchase to decent prints (Setup, Calibration and DTI)

Some sound advice there but just wondering why the need for the dial gauge if you've already used the paper method to level ??

Davinci 1.0 with repetier firmware & E3D V6 Lite
Anycubic Photon DLP printer, Einscan-S 3D scanner
Simplify3d, 123D Design, Meshmixer
http://www.thingiverse.com/scobo/designs

3 Reply by chrismetallica1 (edited by chrismetallica1 2015-09-20 12:02:08)

  • chrismetallica1
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Re: From initial purchase to decent prints (Setup, Calibration and DTI)

The paper levelling got it printing great. However using the DTI gauge after the paper levelling method showed me that the front corner was just 2 thousandths out. I used the gauge to fine tune that down so the run off is perfect across the bed. Its not necessary but it just confirms the bed is 100% true on all planes.

The Da Vinci is a nice machine but there is another bug with it really. The heated bed is pretty poor. I checked it with a laser temperature gauge. Its not a consistent heat across the bed. The centre of the bed gives reading of 5 to 10 degrees higher than the sides. Also the glass on the bed is pretty poor. With repeated use is does begin to chip and crack from the inside out. I'm going to fix this by installing a upgraded Borosilicate glass bed with a Improved heater design for more consistent heating

Also the bearings on the left hand side on the x carriage do have a tendency to move slightly during travel. I am going to fit some bearing cushions to fix that. Plus on large prints taking most of the bed when the extruder is all the way to the left the cable sometimes makes contact with the belt. This can really mess up a large print. I'm going to print out and install the belt guard to fix that one and a axis screw top support to reduce the wiggle of the screw and reduce vibration

Once I have got round to printing all the new internals, covers and upgrades I will take some pictures when I install them all and do an updated post with links to all the upgrade files I used. 

I'm also going to test out Froglube as a lubricant of the travel bars. I have run my printer pretty hard for a couple of weeks now and the lubricant that was on the bars from the factory seems to be drying or clumping on the furthest points of the bars

All the best

Chris