DIARY OF THE NOOB – 3D PRINTING

IT’S ALIVE!

Now I’m ready to switch on my 3d printer for the first time.

Nope!

Internet sad that X axis is known to get lose in transport, so it’s time to check X axis. It’s easier to do it with printer on his front side, so it’s another job for more than two hands. In my case, everything is on its place, so now it’s time for dreaded bad leveling. But first you have to make sure that X axis is parallel to bed. Put some kind of medicine bottle (about 10cm high) and use Z axis fast command to get near the top of the bottle, than use Z axis slow to get almost on top. Then put the bottle on the other side of X axis and, if necessary adjust the screw thing at the bottom of Vertical Z screws. Now to the bad leveling. I used a piece of paper that came with the printer. First I maximally tightened all bed screws, and then I started from the middle. That was a suggestion from one you-tuber, which made sense to me. Then you lose all four screws simultaneously. After that you do the same for half the distance between screws on the edge of the plate, regulating simultaneously two screws on that side. To finish it all check the corners. You have to fell slight friction when you push a piece of paper below extruder tip.

The lights are on for the first time

Following the instructions I preheated the bed and extruder.  When extruder reached its working temperature, transparent filament had started to drip from its tip, indicating that machine was tested in the factory. I put the piece of baking paper below extruder, so I don’t have to scrap plastic from bed before printing. After that I put filament into extruder and gave a command for extruder to extrude around 3 cm of filament. I suppose that this has a purpose to give enough time for extruder and filament to reach optimal working temperature. When filament stopped going out of the extruder nozzle, I removed it with tweezers, and I was ready to print my first 3d object. I opted for D6, because it’s quicker than Benchy.

Baking paper did the good job of keeping the bed clean

Print on its way

Those who like to watch how grass grows will, probably, find interesting following movies.

Almost half an hour later, first print was finished. Now was the time to remove it from the print bed. But it was stuck to the bed. Internet suggested that it is best to wait for everything to cool down, but I’m not the patient one. Further out, Internet said that there are six ways to remove an object from the print bed. I used first two – brute force and sharp edge to pick up the object.  D6 looked reasonably well. It had one layer that is displaced (probably a consequence of nudging table in the middle of print). Overhangs on D6 point are not all perfect so I think that bigger fan for cooling plastic is in order. Bottom layer is rough, probably because of brim, or just from print bed.

After D6 I printed a tire for my Martian lorry. It is a little gem. But it came on a small side, only 1 cm in diameter. So I made adjustment to the model enlarging the tire by 10 %. I had to modify the mud guard to accept a new bigger tire, and now I have all elements ready for printing.

Again, bottom half is little rough

I’m satisfied how printer is working so far. The mods I plan to add to machine is bigger fan for cooling plastic, Z tower braces (they will make machine more sturdy, and the need to level bed more rarely) and few nuts and bolts to make bed more sturdy.

Join me up in new adventures of the 3Dprinter noob next time

IN THE DIARY OF THE NOOOOOOB!