Filastruder Documentation Improvement Suggestions

Hi Tim,

I wanted to provide you some feedback on the documentation (Instructions Version: 1.1 (Kickstarter Release)) as I feel it is lacking.  Sorry in advance for the length, but I thought it may be useful as a reference for you in producing the next set of documentation.

I built my kit last night and whilst I got there, the information in the document was not overly helpful in a few specific cases.

Please dont take this as a negative or grumpy as Im not, the product is great and the guide along with with the forum helps you get there but I am hoping to provide constructive information for improving it for your future kit customers.

Items that I think you need to improve in the documentation are as follows.

1. Add the serial number ranges that the instructions are applicable to at the top of the page.  eg. Serial numbers 1-133 or Serial numbers 134-present.

2. Photographs of the parts identifying them as part of the included parts mechanical or before each step when using the parts with their names.  Some of the terminology may be common use in the USA, but not elsewhere in the world. For example, when the instructions refer to the nipple I thought you were refering to the nozzle, not the barrel of the device. 
The Included Parts - Mechanical for instances lists "8 inch pipe nipple", but elsewhere its just nipple.

3. Replace the diagrams in the steps with actual photos.  for example in steps 4-6, the diagram shows no gap between the flange and the hopper body.  But with the hopper body there is an extension on one side that presses against the flange extension.  This means that it does not look like the diagram.  By searching the forum this can be seen, but depending on the version of people designs and if they have put them together correctly it makes it more diffucult than it needs to be

4. In steps 4-10 a mention that movement of the auger of 2-3cm is normal would be benificial.  Rather than 10 minutes searching through the forum, trying to figure out if this is correct or not as the thrust bearing being loose, seemed pointless.

5. In step 11, a mention that they washer should have been trimmed/filed.  Yes this instruction is at the top of the document, but this will aid in stopping people folding/adjusting the washer when they get to this step.  As you have seen on the forum, quite a few people have got this wrong.

6. At step 16, some comments about the positioning of the insulation should be.  This will help bring together the fan placement later with the intention that the fan cools the brass plug.  Keep in mind people assembling this have probably had experience with 3D printer hot end assembly and as such want to keep airflow away from the nozzle.

7. Fan placement/direction.  The instructions dont have anything mentioned about the 10-15 degree angle of the fan.  the picture shows it as flat, with approx 50% of the fan under the nozzle.

8. Terminology.  Sometimes the term nozzle is used, sometimes threaded brass plug.

9. Electrical, point 2, the 12v cables from the power supply are blue and unshielded.  Not black and red with the power supply I received.

10. Electrical, point 2, the cables being unshielded are unsuitable to follow the instructions at Electrical, point 2 and 3 of using the trimmed cable.

11. Electrical, point 4, the pins on the thermocople need to be bent to fit in to the screw sockets for the Mypin PID controller.

12. integrating the following text description into the electrical steps would improve it as well.

The power supply has two wires on its output - red (positive) and black (negative).

Black goes straight to terminal 2 on the PID, where it is joined by 3 other wires - one heater wire (either, heaters dont have polarity), the black fan wire, and a wire to the motor terminal (the one with the red dot near it)

Red goes to the center pin of both switches.

One of the outside pins of one of the switches goes to terminal 1 on the PID.
One of the outside pins of the other switch goes to the red fan wire, as well as the other motor terminal.

Connect a jumper from terminals 1 to 4 of the PID.
Connect the other heater wire to terminal 3 of the PID.

So:
Terminal 1 of the PID has 2 wires under it
Terminal 2 of the PID has 4 wires under it
Terminals 3 and 4 each have 1 wire under them
The first switch has 2 wires on the center terminal, one wire on one of the outside terminals (either is ok)
The second switch has 1 wire on the center terminal, two wires on one of the outside terminals (either is ok)

13. Operation Instructions, point 2.  Instructions on how to set the temprature on the Mypin PID controller.  eg. press <</AT, default target temprature will show of 100.0, press the <</AT button to move the input, use up and down buttons to set the temprature and then press SET to store the new target temprature.

14. Operation Instructions, point 2a.  Add a step to autotune the PID controller.

For the MyPID, press and hold the AT button until the green AT light illuminated. Should take 5 seconds to get into AT mode, and ~5 minutes to do the autotuning.  Then the AT light will turn off.

For the SESTOS PID, press and hold the SET key until the PV changes to HIAL, then press the SET key multiple times until you see CtrL, then press the down arrow once to set it to 2 instead of 3. Then, hold the SET key until you return to the main temperature readout (Once you get to the EP's (EP1-8), you're close) and you will see that the SV will be blinking between a number and "At". This means that it is autotuning and you should now leave it alone until it stops blinking.

Note: instructions above are from the forum, I assume that these are correct.

15. Operation Instructions, point 5. I assume that you mean the unit should run for 6-8 hours producing filament to clean contaminates.  I think its clear, but by specifically saying so, hopefully no one will try to save pellets and leave an empty unit running for 6-8 hours.

16. Included Parts - Electrical. There are 4 female spade connectors included, but 5 switch connections are listed.  An extra female spade connector would then match the documentation provided.

I know some of the above items (even most) can be answered by a customer after searching for information in the forum, or reading and re-reading the exisitng v1.1 documentation, PID guide etc, but by including this in the Filastruder manual, at the logical place where users of the kit need it, a better experience will be had by all.

Once again, thank you for a very well run Kickstarter process and all of the work you have put into getting the filastruder to this point I appreciate it.

regards

Darren