Newbie questions - CTC 3d Printer & Pilot model

[3Dscaleworks]

try to make two parts that you position with, lets say 50 mmseparation. Resolution high temp at 195 /210 and enhance your cooling. It seems the hat needs support at the front side also, you standard speed

happy printing

[Richard_Blackwe]

Results from attempt 7 - settings below for reference…

Attempt 7
filename: pilot 07
Extruder: 190 c
Printe Bed: 40 c
Speed while travelling: 100mm/s
Extruding speed: 20mm/s.
Room temp: 18.5 C

It was probably the worst print so far. The body was brittle and there were holes in the model and the lines were quite visible and it didn’t look like it stuck together very well. The head snapped off very easily and the body is brittle and came apart in layers. Whilst the peak of his cap came out very well. the face has no detail and didnt work at all.

If I compare the above settings to the first time i tried to print this model (default ABS settings. 1110 bed temp, 230 extruder temp, 150mm/s travel speed, 90mm/s extruder speed). The ABS settings gave a much better result, by no means perfect, but a lot stronger.

Not sure what to try now. From reading the responses I guess this printer needs modification before something usable is created. I’m going to try one last time to print the pilot before I give up!

Attempt 8 - 2 pilots, 50mm apart
filename: pilot 08
Extruder: 205 c
Printer Bed: 40 c
Speed while travelling: 100mm/s
Extruding speed: 20mm/s.
Room temp: 18.5 C

Not expecting miracles. I did purchase this printer knowing it needs serious modifications before you can get anything usable. But was hoping something half decent would be possible with adding fans and buying Simplify 3D, updating firmware etc…

[Richard_Blackwe]

Hi Eduardo, I downloaded the software, it seems it is a profile editor. I believe I can use notepad to edit the editing. would simplify 3d automatically be able to print the pilot head? does it know to slow down when it gets to smaller areas?

[Richard_Blackwe]

Hi Adam, thanks for the info, I looked at the Google page and it seems that this mod requires you to solder onto a motherboard. With my limited soldering skills this looks a bit tricky.

So i did a bit of research and found a 3d printable Fan mount that mounts to the carriage. However in order to print this fan mount you need a printer wiht cooling! seems like a bit of a catch 22.

Do yo uknow of anywhere I can simply buy the ducts and bits to get extra cooling? Or should I just buy one of these desk fans and point it at the printer?

Cheers, R

[Eduardo_Garcia]

If you want to use notepad, go ahead, but proftweak is simple and easier to use in my opinion. S3d will not do anything automatically, you still have to tell it to slow down and by how much depending on the time it takes per later, you can customize support for just the hat if you want and you can vary the temperature layer by layer on both the nozzle and the heated bed. It’s not a software that you can just click and go though, I took me some time to understand the parameters and what to change and tune to get great prints.

[Richard_Blackwe]

Got ya, I may hold off on s3d for a bit until Ive got to grips with the printer. and got more cooling. Attempt 8 isnt going that well. It seems the back left hand side (Pilots right shoulder) is the bit that is always failing. so far on both pilots that are printing simultaneously the back left parts of the shoulders have holes in them. I wonder why that is? There is no overhang. The part is symmetrical and the Pilots left shoulder is fine.

Doesn’t seem to make logical sense to me…!

[adamcooks]

You’re pointing a house fan at you printer? I hope the real take away here is that no setting will ever overcome a physical hardware (lack of cooling) condition.

[Richard_Blackwe]

Can I just clarify something with regards to how the printing works…

A layer is created, ideally, should this layer be cooled as much as possible before the next layer is printed on top? If I went and bought 5 desk fans and aimed them all at the printer, would that do anything? what about putting the printer outside? it’s 1c currently…

[Richard_Blackwe]

Okay, so basically the printer simply will not work unless I find some way of printing the thingiverse ctc printer fan duct and install an additional 24v fan?

The problem here is that I cannot print the fan modification duct as the printer doesn’t work well enough. You need cooling to print the cooling! Catch 22!

[adamcooks]

Unfortunately there’s no magic answer here. This will all depend on the type of plastic being used. You will find there is a sweet spot. 5 house fans might be a little overkill, you will need some heat to get good inter later bonding, but then it must cool before the next layer. The print head is also a source of heat that will deform the lower layers. For your particular situation, a fan blowing across the printer, as well as a 20mm cube as tall as your model. This second model will pull the print head away for a bit of time.

[adamcooks]

The fan pointed at the motherboard is a good source for that fan. It was put there by makerbot to address a voltage regulator problem that our bots don’t suffer from. Generally you print a second duct with your first poorly printed duct, with much better results.

[Eduardo_Garcia]

Have you calibrated the nozzle like I mentioned? Holes are usually under extrusion. How’s your extrusion multiplier?

again I suggest proftweak. Many people will be able to help you tune the printer. If you don’t have the y pillow blocks I suggest you download and print them as well. Will improve printing substantially. Your problem sound like tuning, the printer out of the box is decent enough with proper tuning. I did not have decent prints until I calibrated the nozzle, mine was over extruding.

[Eduardo_Garcia]

Do not point fans at it, that will cool the extruded and your print will fail due to clogging or the firmware will stop the print for the inconsistent heating

[adamcooks]

The fact of the situation here, is a rookie user is attempting to print an advanced model on a bottom of the barrel knock off of a clone. I am not saying that this is impossible, but this is not a good start print. Overhangs, unsupported hat brims, facial features, this is a very complex model being printed. Redirecting to Google Groups This is the Google group, that I manage, you might find some good information here. In a much easier to read format.

[Richard_Blackwe]

Hi Adam, agreed, I certainly am a rookie user!

I didn’t know that the model i was attempting to print was an advanced model, I thought it didn’t matter what it was you just load the model and print it. and if the temperatures are correct and bed is levelled, everything should pretty much work out of the box. But since learning that the model I am trying to print is a bit more of an advanced model it makes me feel a bit better that I cant get it to work after 8 attempts!

I’ll do as I’ve been told as well and calibrate the nozzle, download proftweak, and make some pillow blocks. I’ll get on over to your group on Google as i presume i’m not the only person struggling to get good results with this printer.

I have to argue the point about this printer being a bottom of the barrel knock off. I thought this printer was rated the second best printer on 3d hubs? That was the basis on which I bought it.

[Richard_Blackwe]

Ah haa - I get you. I’ll get all the nuts and bolts mentioned on the Google link above and do that mod as well.

[Richard_Blackwe]

That is the next thing on my list. I figured i’d get the basics done right, like levelling the bed and getting the temps right. but yes this is important. I’m not sure what the extrusion multiplier is?

I have downloaded, installed and run prof tweak. I have duplicated a profile (the Makerbot PLA Standard) and saved it. and opened my new custom profile in Proftweak, and can see all the different settings.

I’ll get on with calibrating the nozzles and i’ll also download and print pillow blocks (i’m not sure what these are yet!)

With regards to Nozzle calibration. from my Googling it seems like the Nozzle calibration is to calibrate the distance between the two extruders. I found a post on thingiverse about nozzle calibration. But it doesnt say how do do it, or what model to print. Is there a guide anywhere on how to calibrate the nozzle?

Thanks for your patience!

[Eduardo_Garcia]

Search Ctc nozzle calibration

[Eduardo_Garcia]

I will disagree with this being a bottom of the barrel knock off. This printer is the best for its price you can get. Mine prints just as good or better than a maker not and I have used a maker it before. Needless to say I did some mods that make the printer substantially better but it was all printed with the same printer so to me that is a win win. I printed a better extruded block, y pillow block, glass bed, filament guide and sailfish no nozzle calibration with s3d. With those mods I can set it and forget it with confidence that it will print. So again, this is. Great printer that just needs minor mods that you can print yourself and make it better it just as good as a maker bot. At the end of the day calibration and tuning for every model is essential for good prints. The more you print the more you know what works and what does not. Also according to how the models print you can tell what needs to be tuned to make the model better. This comes with experience though. We are all happy to help and I think you made a good choice in printer.

[Richard_Blackwe]

Hi Eduardo, when I search that it comes up with a small round model … And instructions for prof tweaks.

CTC 3D Nozzle calibration by kutukutu1

nowhere on the page is it clear what you actually need to do, what do you do? Print the model? In the link? Measure what? It doesn’t make any sense to me, the chap who made the model in the link said he followed the instructions, what instructions is he on about. I really don’t understand. And I can’t seem to find percentage multipliers in prof tweaks either!

am I missing something here?