1 Topic by mdz79

  • mdz79
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Topic: Help requested :-)

Hi guys,

I have Solidoodle 3 for some time but unfortunately I was not able  to make it print. 4 weekends I am trying to make it print but it is not getting any better. (maximum 10 hours together - after 2 hours I was always demotivated)

I must be definitely missing something.

What I have tried:
1) I have managed to install it - successfully :-)
2) I have managed to import STL file
3) I have imported all settings for Print, Printer and Filament
4) I have tried to print more than 50 times.

Extruder temperature from 190 - 215 - 5 degrees steps
Heated bed temperature 90 - 105 - 5 degrees steps
Hair spray

So you can imagine - too many failures  :-) It always looks like my video.

"I could not paste link here - search "Solidoodle 3 - problems with print "on Youtube" - or allow me to put it here or admin please put it here.


I would really appreciate if someone more expereinced can give me at least some hint.

2 Reply by ronsii (edited by ronsii 2014-03-02 19:41:33)

  • ronsii
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Re: Help requested :-)

just looked at the video... you need to adjust your z-tab screw - this changes how close the bed is to the print nozzle for the first http://wiki.solidoodle.com/solidoodle-1

Hope this helps smile


Just to add: the reason it is not printing is the nozzle is too close to the bed and therefore not allowing any filament to be extruded from the nozzle... so you need to lower the bed by lowering the z-tab screw.

3 Reply by RosaMG

  • RosaMG
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Re: Help requested :-)

Mdz79

I feel your pain.  It took more than a week, eight emails to the company and six phone calls to get the drivers installed correctly.  I have just spent 8 hours trying to get the machine to print: no luck just a blob.  The machine was highly recommended by an associate and I accepted some 3D print jobs based on the assumption that I could print them on this machine: if I can not get some help soon I may have to return the money and write the entire project off as a loss. 

And I am not a newby, I own several 3D printers, but have never encounter this many problems with a new machine.  The company needs to rewrite its owner manual.

Richard

4 Reply by 3d-oodler (edited by 3d-oodler 2014-03-08 21:44:16)

  • 3d-oodler
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Re: Help requested :-)

Both mdz79's video and RosaMG's post looks/sounds like a bed adhesion problem (though I agree with the z-tab adjustment as well).

See this post for some fixes:
http://www.soliforum.com/topic/1889/the … gs-around/

5 Reply by RosaMG

  • RosaMG
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Re: Help requested :-)

Thank you.

The machine came from the factory with the bed temp set at 105C.  I think the real problem is that there is a real steep learning curve with this software. I have several other machines and this package is the most difficult to learn all the in and outs.

Richard

6 Reply by Skyminer

  • Skyminer
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Re: Help requested :-)

When my SD3 arrived, it printed right out of the box... Things couldn't have been smoother. Now since calibrating it and using it a bit, I have encountered issues with the printer hanging, print adhesion issues, etc.

A couple of things I noticed with my setup...
- make sure you have the right options selected in Repeltier. Ensure you have the Solidoodle selected in the drop down, and whatever resolution you're printing (ie. .3mm)
- carefully set your Z height.  Too close to the bed and there's no room for the ABS to come out, too far and it comes out in mid-air. I've found that .15mm works well for me
- configure a skirt in Slicr. This has the printer do a line around the outside of the print, and gives the ABS a chance to start flowing before you really get to the print itself
- right before printing, I always extrude 5mm of ABS in the home position.  This seems to get things flowing well, and if there are any little bits plugging the nossle, gets them out of the way.  Just make sure to use tweezers and pull the extruded filament away so it doesn't mess things up.

Hope this helps.

7 Reply by washmikemm

  • washmikemm
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Re: Help requested :-)

My SD2 Pro arrived before the weekend and I've taken a couple of evenings to get it set up and running. I had a spot on the printbed, at the 7:00-8:00 position where the model would not stick and eventually the see-saw motion would cause a ripple effect and pretty soon the entire model was dragging around the bed.

Checked z-tab clearance at all 3 positions with no problem. Got Aqua Net Extra Super Hold, cleaned cold bed with rubbing alcohol and put card stock around exterior of bed to keep spray from rest of machine. I have the aluminum heated bed on my SD2. The change was immediate but had to be repeated, I'm on my 3rd print now after a reapplication of hair spray and the areas where the spray was lighter than others as fairly apparent.

Also, I had to make a new foundation for the printer, the table I had it originally placed on was doing an Irish jig at times and my nephew made a stack of cinder blocks with flat, solid blocks on top and bottom, 3-high. It's not going anywhere now and that helped with the finish.

Hope this helps and keep posting, please. Thanks, Mike