I’ve been using my FFPro since January and it’s been great. I’ve logged about 700 hrs on it. I’ve recently noticed a tapping or clicking sound while printing.
I moved the carriage manually by hand, and the noise only happens when moving in the x axis. Is the belt supposed to be centered on the geared pulley or flush to one side? Right now the belt is flush to one side of pulley. If I try and move the belt to the middle of the pulley it moves itself back after a couple of passes with the carriage. I can’t tell if it’s the belt that making the sound, but it’s definitely the pulley or something on that left bracket that is attached to pulley that’s responsible for the noise. It can be reproduced by moving back and forth on the same spot in the x axis.
Other than the click noise, the prints are still are still coming out fine.
Here’s a video of me manually moving the carriage:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dt3fx5ak1swni4i/IMG_6586.MOV?dl=0
Has anyone encountered this? I’ve started an email thread w FF support, but I thought I’d check here in case anyone else as had the same issue.
SOC3D
May 6, 2016, 2:00pm
2
When’s the last time you greased those bearings?
I haven’t lubed the linear bearings in the y axis. What’s the safest lube to use in the linear bear bearings? I used 3 in 1 on my MakerFarm i3 a while back.The sound isn’t coming from the bearings though.
Does the x axis have bearings? All I see is a plastic pulley and a tiny axel on both ends. It looks like the sound is coming from around the grey pulley.
SOC3D
May 6, 2016, 2:31pm
4
There should be 6 smooth rods (with bearings) and one lead screw in your FF. I generally use white lithium grease in a squeeze tube. It has a paste like consistency. Spread it on the smooth rods into the travel path of the bearings and roll them over the grease a few times then wipe the ends of the smooth rod where any dust and debris collect.
I’m mostly suggesting greasing the bearings because it helps a lot of things on the FF and your carriage sounds rough.
If your X axis is making that clicking noise and it is not some movement of the wire harness coming off the top of the extruders my thoughts would be: Stepper motor/pulley, bearings - specifically a bad bearing, or a small clicking animal inside the machine which does not like the X axis being moved. I’d focus on the first two.
I cleaned and lubed all smooth rods with white lithium grease. Clicking sound is still coming from around the area of the grey pulley on the left hand side. Will wait from FF support to see what they suggest. Thanks for your suggestions.
