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1500 questions
11
votes
7 answers

Troubleshooting filament slip on MakerBot 5

I run a high school 3D printer lab and we have several 5th generation MakerBot printers. On one of them I have considerable trouble with "thin" prints and filament slip warnings. So far I've tried changing extruders and using different filament…
dlu
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11
votes
2 answers

Calculating the estimated print time of an already sliced file

I started to write an application that calculates the estimated total print time from the G-code file for an already sliced model. The program works and it's pretty accurate. It works as follows: It scans the entire G-code file to identify all of…
BackSlash
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11
votes
4 answers

Designing/Printing objects with sized holes

When trying to print parts that should contain certain sized holes, e.g. for screws, how to achieve that they are sized correctly? Is it possible to calibrate the printer perfectly, so it prints holes correctly sizes in all common sizes (e.g.…
Thomas S.
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11
votes
4 answers

Extruder stepper motor problem, what can be wrong?

I bought a self-made Reprap Prusa Mendel 3 printer, modified to be built from cheaper materials, and immediately after the deal I got various problems. I fixed the majority of them, but don't know what the reason of the strange extruder behavior is:…
Poliakoff
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11
votes
1 answer

How do the E commands in G-code work, exactly?

I've tried looking online but haven't quite found the answer to what I'm confused about, exactly. Consider the following 3 lines of G-code: G1 X129.000 Y126.322 E7.90758 G1 X128.349 Y125.707 F7800.000 G1 X128.476 Y125.548 E7.92045 F1800.000 Does…
yeemonic
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11
votes
3 answers

Marlin Adjusting feedrate

I'm using the Marlin firmware (1.1.0-RC7 - 31 July 2016) for a 3d printer. Currently the printing is not perfect due to slight inaccuracies in movements along the x and y axis. I'm trying to change the feedrate for speed along the xy axis whilst the…
make it happen
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11
votes
3 answers

What type filament should I use to produce stamps?

My wife wants me to use an FFM 3d printer to make custom stamps for her to use on paper (scrap books, letters, etc.). She is convinced, however, that they will be too rigid to make good stamps. A quick google search showed ones made from PLA and…
kaine
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11
votes
2 answers

How does the home position work on a Prusa i3 RepRap Printer?

By what process does the Prusa i3 determine it's home position? I have a feeling that it works like this, but I'm not entirely sure about it: If none of the end stops are activated; assume you are somewhere between Max-X, Max-Y, Max-Z and the…
leeand00
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11
votes
1 answer

What is the difference between a Bowden extruder and a direct drive extruder?

As these are the two most commonly used extruder systems in FDM printers, I would like to know what is the difference between them. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using each of them?
kosteklvp
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11
votes
2 answers

How can I calculate volumetric speed for Slic3r auto speed?

I have noticed that Slic3r offers a speed setting called "auto speed" meant to give a constant filament pressure at the extruder, which I believe could eliminate filament grinding issues at higher printing speeds. According to the tooltip in…
Tormod Haugene
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11
votes
3 answers

Tips for not burning out my Arduino Mega or catching something on fire when wiring a Prusa i3?

I'm reading about wiring up the electronic components to my Prusa i3 using an Arduino Mega 2650 and Ramps 1.4. I have step sticks, a heated bed, and a Switching Power Supply 12v Dc 30a 360w (more details on that later when I can add which ones to…
leeand00
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11
votes
2 answers

Configuring Marlin 2.x with Ender 3 4.2.2 and BLTouch

I bought an Ender 3 recently and it has the 4.2.2 Creality board. Then I bought a BLTouch to upgrade it with bed leveling. It turns out that the BLTouch now comes with a standard 5-pin connector instead of the separate wires that all the tutorials…
deltree
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11
votes
1 answer

What do linear rail codes mean?

In looking at 3D printer motions systems, I've seen linear rails with codes like MGN15H and MGN9C. What do the letters and numbers mean?
chobok
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11
votes
3 answers

Can SLA printers produce strong engineered parts?

I have an FDM printer, I printed ABS for years. Since SLA printers became really cheap lately and are able to print finer details, are there resins out there as strong as ABS/PLA?
phil
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11
votes
1 answer

Using auto-bed leveling, do I need to initiate G29 before every print?

Various methods to scan the top surface exist to improve the bed adhesion to prevent prints to come loose from the bed during printing: e.g. BLTouch and clones or inductive and capacitive sensors/probes. In order, for the print head, to use this…
0scar
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