M206 GCODE - offset command

[gilman]

Hi All

I was wondering your thoughts on using M206 in the start GCODE to fine tune your Z axis height. I struggle when bed levelling and find that i cant get a feel for how much tension on the piece of paper between the bed and the nozzle translates to height. So often after bed levelling I am off a bit high or a bit low with my first layer. I recently found this M206 command which allows me to enter an offset to the Z home position. So after levelling I test a first layer print a few times and tweak the offset by a few fractions of a mm and get it dialed in perfect.

I am planning on printing out a fine adjustment for the z limit switch but havent gotten around to that. This seems to work well. Any thoughts on the better way to go?

[albert2adams]

M206 is a good way to go, provided you “eliminate” the z-axis hard limit. So if your printer has a fixed z-axis limit at home, the M206 will not work because the hard limit will be triggered each time your z-axis gets to 0 position. But if your printer uses a bl-touch or the like or a servo and limit switch or a proximity switch, then the M206 command will work. The new Prusa MK3 has a live z offset adjustment on the printer controller that can be adjusted while printing the first layer! How cool is that?!

[gilman]

Yes I am using M206 to move higher than the limit switch. Most recently I started printing on a mirror, and it is much easier to level the bed on the actual aluminum and simply offset the height of the mirror and make fine tuning for layer thickness that way. Thanks for the reply