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SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Help/Repair/Maintenance → Z won't raise
Attempting to set up a new workbench. X and Y can be controlled via Manual Control in Repetier. Z can be lowered (or raised, Z says it goes to 1.00 rather than -1.00, but it looks like that might be normal?) I don't want to lower it till it bumps into the floor), and then raised back up until it says Z = 0.00 again. I can't raise it any further.
Welcome to the forums! 
Z being "inverted" is normal - the Z control should control the space between the nozzle and the bed, regardless of which moves, right? You get used to it after a while.
Have you 'homed' the axes yet? Often movement is prevented before homing has occurred. Try homing z, and see if you can move the full range.
At this stage, look up how to:
* Adjust the z-stop, and
* Level the bed
And after that there's plenty of other calibration you can run - I'd recommend reading through these forums, and note that much of what's written about the older printers (SD2,3,4) is likely still quite relevant to your workbench - for a start, maybe consider:
* Belt tensioning
* PID tuning
* Extruder calibration
* Wall-thickness calibration
Good luck, happy printing!
Was hesitant to hit the home button, wasn't sure if that was going to grind the platform against the bottom. Anyhow, pressed it ready to stop it, but it didn't get to that point - It started making a horrible noise when it tried to home the Y axis. Turned it off, and was able to push the Y axis by hand, though it is a great deal harder than pushing the X axis. Pushed the Y axis all the way to the back edge where the little lever detects when it has gone as far as it can. I notice there is roughly 1 1/2 centimeters difference in how far the backmost X axis rod is from the back between the left side and right side. Any good way to fix this?
Horrible shuddering noise? That's just the motor skipping steps, it does that when it gets stuck, most of the time well before breaking anything (although best to avoid of course!).
The x axis rod should be perpendicular to the y axis rods of course, and these all should be more or less parallel with the appropriate edges of the enclosure. 15mm difference sounds like it's very badly skewed!
Look up "belt adjustment", there's a solidoodle youtube video of it being done to an SD3 that should get you an idea of how to do it to your workbench. This thread cropped up recently, might be a start: http://www.soliforum.com/topic/9748/yax … -problems/
The general idea is to loosen the grub screw on the right hand y axis belt pulley (back right corner), slide the gantry back and forth until it's smooth and nicely parallel, and then tighten that grub screw back up.
I think I'm making some progress, but will continue tomorrow. Still trying to get the Y axis able to move freely the whole distance. Can move smoothly until the last 1 1/2 inch before getting home, where it starts shuddering.
Finally got Y axis to a point where it can go to home on its own power... Now onto the Z axis troubles again.
After X and Y get to home, Z axis begins making a grinding noise. Powered off/on, reconnected, attempted to do things with Z axis manually again. Moving the platform downwards causes a grinding noise. Moving it up works fine. Moving it back down once its been moved up also works fine. So, this seems to imply that telling the Z axis to go home is causing the print bed to move down, rather up toward the probe. That sounds wrong.
Shouldn't I also be able to manually raise the print bed via Manual Control in Repetier?
Pressing "down" in repetier-host should decrease the distance between the platform and the nozzle, so the platform moves up.
Is this what is happening? This may be prevented in software if the printer thinks it's at 0 or is unhomed, and is preventing -ve movement.
Homing the platform should move the platform up, and the switch on the platform at the back of the case should contact an adjustable stop.
If you try to drive the platform into the bottom of the case, it will make some nasty noises!
The probability the axis is inverted out of the box is low, but not impossible I suppose. If you need to make it run the opposite direction, you can just flip the orientation of the 4-pin z stepper motor plug on the motherboard (do this with the power off, it's bad to unplug stepper motors when the drivers are enabled!).
Maybe try manually rotating the shaft at the back (slow going I know!) to bring the platform up from the bottom of the case so you can confirm which direction homing is happening in...
Pressing down in repetier-host DOES decrease the distance between the platform and the nozzle (but only if I've pressed up first and moved it some distance from 0)
Homing moves the platform down, rotated the shaft by hand and let it home a little to confirm. (Have a workbench, the switch is on the extruder rather than the platform)
So the manual controls in RH seem to be moving it in the right direction, but homing seems to be going in the wrong direction.
Ok, the extruder-mounted switch is unfamiliar to me, so can't guarantee I have the solution here. I'm guessing you might have a problem with the limit switch on there. Note that if it's anything like the previous designs, it should be wired 'Normally Closed' (NC). Follow through this:
http://wiki.solidoodle.com/fixing-your-limit-switches
My guess with the wrong direction thing is it thinks the switch is engaged when you press home, and it's trying to move away from the switch to disengage it...
Checked that yesterday, the switch itself appears to be working correctly (at the very least, pressing the switch toggles it to open the circuit, which appeared to be what the wiki was saying should happen).
Also, if it were the limit switch, I would think it would mean the bed should only move one direction, regardless whether it is above or below its starting position.
Hmm pity that, could have been a quick one. All I can think of now is to try setting the known position manually (to something that resembles more or less where the bed is at the moment), then trying to home again and see if this makes a difference to the behaviour:
G92 Z180
G28 ZSo the G92 command allowed me to use manual control to raise the bed a good distance from the floor of the printer, so when I hit home I wasn't in a massive hurry to power it off to prevent grinding. Turns out it lowers itself a little bit (maybe 2 or 3 cm?) before raising. So at least this problem is solved, I can actually get on with adjusting the offset and attempting a print tomorrow.
Thanks for the help, by the way!
New to these forums - is there a way to perhaps change the 'Help!' message on the post to 'Solved' or something?
Thanks, glad to hear it's working better now. Sneaky that downward movement...
Maybe you can adjust by clicking "edit" on the top post? Not sure, have never used the tags myself!
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