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Nov 2015
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BlackMist
Nov '15

Hello…

I bought a CTC duall extruder 3D printer on ebay and I’m having some problems… I’m using makerware 3.8 software and sailfish 7.7 and I’m not able to set temperature… i choose on the soft. extruder temp. 220 and bed temp. 90, i send all to print i see on the printer lcd all starting to warm up but the extruder shows always 230 / 230 the bend shows 110/110. is this correct? Shouldn’t it show extruder temp. 220/230 and bed 90/110?
Also also tried print from SD card same thing…

Also in can print PLA using the standard profile of makerware but i get clogs…cant pring using high profile it doesent stick to the bed (using glass bed) tried using heated bed… and no heated bed also same things… tested temp of 200… 210… 220… with 230 it sticks to the bed but because its too hot the pla is very soft and the print is very bad…

Mods done… only glass bed for now…

Also… when i select home position the extruder goes all the way to back and right side off the printing bed… is that normal?!

Sorry for all the questions but im a newbie on 3d printing and i dont know what to what to expect…

Thanks in advance.

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    Nov '15

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    Dec '16
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28http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:23013
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4Slicer Calibration sailfishfirmware.com

There are 53 replies with an estimated read time of 7 minutes.

Timothy0413
Nov '15

Sounds like u have the temp set with preheat settings on the printer. Go to Utilities, Preheat settings. Change temps there. Bed temp way to high for PLA. I currently use 3M blue tape on glass with 50c bed temp sticks very good. Even at .05mm layers

BlackMist
Nov '15

Thanks… timothy… you are correct i have seen the preheat settings… im going to change it…
And what about the other home axis behavior is that normal?!

Timothy0413
Nov '15

Yes when u send it to home the head should go to the back right side u should see 2 green lights come on. The bed will also go up.

JDDIGITAL
Nov '15

Homing position is correct. Back right. Pla I have to print #230. What generation CTC do you have? Did you have these issues before you upgraded to 7.7? The temp should read wet you set it at, so if you set at 245 it should read 0/245 all the way to 245/245 when warm. Right temp is setpoint, left is current temp. And lastly makerware sucks. The first print from simply3d was better than a month of tweaking on maternity. I currently run sailfish 7.5

JDDIGITAL
Nov '15

I don’t know why you would even use preheat. I never do unless I’m loading filaments ( I have it set to 250 so it removes easier). Your software should preheat to your print temp settings

Timothy0413
Nov '15

I have tried using cura and other slicers but when I do the head crashes into the front left side of the printer.

BlackMist
Nov '15

JDDIGITAL im newbie to 3d printing…even i don’t know what i’m doing, the preheat setting are already set by default with saifish 7.7. This is the first printer ive got so im learning and for that im counting on you guys… ive got the ctc dual extruder… Other thing is the bed leveling… as ive read about you have to use a piece of paper… so… i get the extruder to front center and level the bed until it scratchs the paper… do the same to left… then right side… but when i go back to front center i dont feel the scratch on the paper… is that normal? the same happens at the back… for me to feel some grip at center the left or right is too tight!

adamcooks
Nov '15

The new versions of makerware are becoming more and more hostile to non mbi bots. Mbi has buried settings drop inside python files. If you don’t have a 5th gen makerbot, the best option would be desktop 2.4. It is floating around the internet.

adamcooks
Nov '15

Your nozzles are probably not even. Concentrate on the right extruder, as it’s the primary. Dual extruding is running and we need to get you walking first.

adamcooks
Nov '15

Are you using rep1 options for cura and gpx? Did you clear your eeprom after installing sailfish? Can you describe your glass mod? Are you using any surface prep on your glass (aquanet)? Make sure everything you do follows rep1 or rep1 dual profiles. NO MATTER WHAT CTC SAYS YOU HAVE A REPLICATOR DUAL CLONE, not a rep2

JDDIGITAL
Nov '15

Also when you level, do you notice a right or left extruder grabbing more. For example when you feel the scratching and you gently try to rotate the paper does it seem to grip both extruded nozzles or just one? If just one nozzle is grabbing you may have to level your nozzles. Try to run the leveler 2 or three times in a row and see if it gets better. You said you had a glass plate so I’m not leaning towards a bent heat bed

adamcooks
Nov '15

Preheating is correct. You will want to tram (level) the bed at printing temps. Aluminum expands, and the plastic arms that hold the z stage will deform over time and temperatures.

adamcooks
Nov '15

Using binder clips also will deform the glass, simply rest the glass on .5mm silicone pads. Amazon sells under the name “gino pad”

BlackMist
Nov '15

yes CTC black case… about the leveling…im added to the table a 3mm glass to the table im using the right extruder… and ive already level the extruders using a jig found on thingiverse: Dualstrustion nozzle leveling Fixture by einer_designs - Thingiverse 28…
I get the two extruders to scratch the paper… both scratch at the left also at the right… but if i level at front… when i get the paper scratching… at the left or right is too tight… if l loosen it i get no scratch ate front center… Ive add the glass bed… to get a level surface to exclude a non level bed…

JDDIGITAL
Nov '15

Did you try repeating the level test back to back a few times. I found this helped me lots.

JDDIGITAL
Nov '15

Also brand of blue tape makes a difference. I found the 3m brand works best for me.

JDDIGITAL
Nov '15

And a glue stick. Elmer’s. I get the purple one to easily tell if I covered everything correctly

BlackMist
Nov '15

So you also use glue stick for pla?! can you provide some printing settings?
thanks.

Timothy0413
Nov '15

I’m using 3mm window glass with blue tape. Everything sticks very good PLA and ABS no problems there. Every time I use anything but maker bot desktop it won’t print. Just crashes or starts trying to print while not heated!

JDDIGITAL
Nov '15

I never thought about preheating the bed for leveling. Suppose your right though. Kinda a dumb mistake I guess lol

JDDIGITAL
Nov '15

Oh yes glue sitck works great. I use stock aluminum bed, blue 3m painters tape and a Elmer’s glue stick applied during heat up. Pla I print 230 - 240 with heat bed of 50-60. BEFORE everyone freaks out, these are what work on the machine settings. Ctc printers have been known to report incorrect temps. So double check with a infrared non contact temp gauge. Also slow your first layer down to 20 - 40. Don’t print above 70 on any part. Machine will work higher for a few weeks but then you will have extruder issues later.

BlackMist
Nov '15

hello… the extruders are even ive used a jig that i got on thingiverse… its odd because if i level at the right or left i lose grip at front center… im going to try and level again… lets see if all goes well…

thanks.

Timothy0413
Nov '15

Not quite sure what u mean by clear eeprom. Yes I have sailfish v7.7… I’m using cura to slice then saving and using repg to generate X3G. Is that the right way??

adamcooks
Nov '15

When the print head crashes it usually indicates incorrect offsets. This can be caused by not resetting the eeprom when going from stock firmware to sailfish. http://www.sailfishfirmware.com/doc/install-configuring.html#x35-910006.4.1 8 Or cura thinking that 0.0 is the back right corner of your printer. You should be concentrating on getting prints correct with makerware before cura. Cura was not made for our bots, and is really for advanced users. Adding so many variables for a new user is not recommended. Honestly, simplify3d(150$US) is hands down the best slicer, and has gpx built in.

Timothy0413
Nov '15

I have been printing with makerware for about 8 or 9 months it works. Just wanted to try Cura.

RobertPaul
Nov '15

Hey what’s up welcome to the CTC family lol. Me and my CTC have been to hell and back. We started from the bottom now we here. You’re printing pla so you should be below 205. 220 is so hot that heat creeps upward and softens the pla, making it too difficult for the extruder to feed it. You have ptfe tubes so you should probably print lower than 205. You probably don’t have a third fan for active cooling so you will have to go even lower. I suspect around 185-195. I went the all metal route so I don’t have those issues.

BlackMist
Nov '15

ive made some tests… i only can control temp. using the pre heating menu on the print… by soft. its impossible… the glue stick works… the pla stays on the bed… the leveling problem of the bed was the bed arms they weren’t even… But i still cant get good prints…

BlackMist
Nov '15

Hello…

this is the best print i got until now…using preheat settings of extruder 230… and bed 55, with makerware i can set temp. but the printer dosent acept the command… So i have use the printer menu, also tryed to disable the pre heating menu… but if i do that… the printer wont heat and trys to print…

Tried to print with lower temp but the result was bad the first line of filment wouldnt stick to the bed even if i use glue stick at 230 e works…

the print is not very good… but it was the best for now…

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JDDIGITAL
Nov '15

Are you still using the filament that came with the CTC? Or have you tried different brands? Does it smell sweet when printed or have a plastic smell?

BlackMist
Nov '15

Hello… Im using the filament that came with the ctc printer… No i didnt use different brands. It smells plastic.