problems with printing the raft

[bobbb]

I have added this to another thread but I am now assuming the thread is not being watched so I have started a new thread. Talk Manufacturing | Hubs .

I have a Anet A8 connected to windows 7 with a usb lead.

I have just printed my first item and my second.

The only problem was the ‘raft’? (is this the flat base that surrounds the whole piece that has to be peeled off when complete?)

If so, while it was doing this in both cases it would do a small part of the surround and then go to either the left or the front edge and back to the printing area. I did this at least every circle of the print area and usually it only got a quarter or 1/8 of an inch before it went to the edge. It looked as if it was losing its place and just checking. Sometimes it didn’t even print any more just went back to the edge and returned

It was no real problem other than the fact it was extruding a little all the way and eventually got caught in its own trails. I kept cleaning it off but I am sure it shouldn’t have been doing that.

When the item started printing for proper the ‘hunting’ stopped?

I quite liked the ‘raft’ as it made it easy to remove from the bed.

Is it possible I could have the machine running too fast and it loses its signal?

I am using the cura program to run the printer.

In Repetier it says the receive cache size is 127 and somewhere I read if this is too fast take it down to 64. I can’t find this reading in the cura software and I can’t get Repetier to ‘see’ my printer.

Any insight would be welcome.

[Andrew_247]

What were you trying to print, and what slicing program did you use to create the gcode file?

[Roberts_Kristin]

“The only problem was the ‘raft’?” - yes it is flat base …
“Is it possible I could have the machine running too fast and it loses its signal?” - Yes it is possible but it not your case
“In Repetier it says the receive cache size is 127 and somewhere I read if this is too fast take it down to 64” - Cache size isn’t speed !!!
“I can’t find this reading in the cura software and I can’t get Repetier to ‘see’ my printer.” - Installation and configuration - Repetier-Host doumentation

[bobbb]

thanks for the replies.

““In Repetier it says the receive cache size is 127 and somewhere I read if this is too fast take it down to 64” - Cache size isn’t speed !!!”

I was assuming if the cache it was printing was too large it would take too long, if I slowed it down it would allow it time to print the cache.

“What were you trying to print,”

this https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2024293

or at least the tensioner in the middle of the picture. It is made up of three parts and I was trying to print the base.

“and what slicing program did you use to create the gcode file?”

I am using Cura to do the slicing.

I have since read elsewhere that someone updated from the cura version that came with his Anet A8 printer to the newer version and he is also getting the same problem so I am assuming it is a problem with cura.

see this thread,

https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/20792-strange-problem-with-first-layers/

I have replied with my problem but as I am new there I have to wait for a member of staff to approve it?

[bobbb]

I went to your link and followed the instructions. The only thing I think I changed was the name of the printer to Anet A8 now, if I plug a printer in now the program crashes and isists I shut it down?

[bobbb]

I have been suffering badly with the extruder insisting on traveling to either the front or the left edge, I cured this by turning the brim off.

I then started to suffer with the print getting about half of the bottom level done before it decided to have a hissy fit in the extruder stepper motor.

It insisted on winding the PLA in,out,in,out of the extruder this resulted in the PLA getting a lump on the end in the extruder but out of the screw tube. I had to stop the print and clean the extruder every time, this meant totally reseting the bed every time as I had to unscrew the extruder from its mount.

After a day of this I tried again with the first item I had printed (not sliced with CURA) and it work perfectly.

I used Repetier host to slicer the item I had been having problems with (this uses an old version of CURA) and, would you believe it, a perfect print. The new CURA slicer is not working for the Anet A8.

I can’t get Repetier to work with my Anet so I loaded the gcode onto the sd card and printed it from the printer panel…perfect print.