(2018-08-17, 06:52 PM)Replies inline! Mooselake Wrote: A real e3d will have a different thermistor so you'll need to rebuild the firmware after selecting the correct one.  Or you could cheat and transfer the one from the Anubis to the new hot end.
 
-I did order the real e3d, i have been pouring over the configuration.h file and all the necessary code for the firmware. i pulled the trigger on the Arduino mega as well, im sitting here assembling it right now actually!

If the anubis seems to be working find why not try cleaning it?  I use pipe cleaners on the real Ubis on my Printrbot, make sure they're not the melty polyester kind.  Heat the hot end to operating temp, remove the nozzle and pull out the plastic, then scrub out it's innards.  If you're really hard core find some yarn or twine that fits in the barrel, apply a mild abrasive (some like metal polish), thread the yarn through the barrel, and run it up and down until you get a nice polish or tired out arms.  Get the filament started again and run some through without the nozzle to remove any debris.  Clean and put the nozzle back on and try extruding some filament to make sure everything's back to working order.

I use a welding tip cleaner to clean out the nozzle, they're at any welding shop, most hardware stores, and Amazon.  You want to clean it, not make it bigger, so be careful what size(es) you use.  It's like a little round file with a smooth starter area, start small and work up in sizes, again without drilling it bigger.  Some people seem to like small drill bits, but I think the tip cleaners work as well and are harder to screw up the nozzle's orifice.  Another technique is to heat the nozzle up with a torch (I use our propane stove burner), then dunk it in isopropol alcohol, sometimes called IPA (not the tasty kind that comes draft, cans, or bottles).  I've not had great luck with an IPA burnout, but some swear by it.  It'll usually shine up the nozzle, at least, before you tip cleaner it.

-Another good tip! (see what i did there...) i didnt consider the welding nozzle cleaners, i did find some .402mm spring steel music wire. i havnt tried it yet. also the yarn and polish i like that idea too! why didnt i think of that. My issue with extrusion is its horribly inconsistent. in the matter of a few hours ill have vastly different results when printing. i know the extruder is clean. short of the actual polishing of course... but sometimes it under extrudes and it seems that while the thermistor is reporting a stable temp. my fluke with temp sensor seems to show if back and forth. high then low but averaging about 20 degrees below what i set it to in repetier. i also had an issue for a while, its corrected itself since, where the bed heater would warm up and run off without being activated when the hot end started warming. and vice versa, the hot end temp would run away if i just had the bed heater on. both would have massive temperature swings. not sure what caused it but it seems fine now. now the issue im have is usually in the beginning of prints and during infill i have really bad under extrusion problems. also my perimeter layers are garbage. of most the prints ive done for parts of the printer ive epoxy coated them with Loctite 608 Hysol. its semi clear, sets in about 5 mins and is sold as a rock...



Auto bed leveling is a poor second to actually leveling (really tramming, but let's avoid that discussion, no sprit level involved as you're getting the head to bed clearance the same everywhere) your print bed.  It's mostly a way for manufacturers to pump out machines while avoiding extra setup, and to avoid teaching users how to properly perform the task.  You can use paper shims to raise the low corners, and a feeler gauge or even strip of paper to measure the clearance until it's the same everywhere across the bed.  Manual (and auto) leveling won't fix a bed that's not flat, but a piece of double strength window glass or flat aluminum plate will.  Lots of info online, google is your friend.

I fabricated an aluminum bed for it, replaced the y axis plate as well with quarter inch aluminum. im confident i have it level. the auto bed leveling is more insurance. and the prox sensor as the z stop should be a fun project. this adventure is more for the learning than anything. ive never been good with code. never had a reason or incentive to learn it. i absolutely agree though, you should know how to level the bed manually anyway. Even in a manufacturing/fabrication environment you never rely on the digital/analog readouts.

But that said. this is a jenky QU BD two up. aint nothing level about this thing. you can sneeze in the other room and throw it off. little bit of jerking from tight infill seems to throw it out. But it will be better, of that im certain.

(2018-08-23, 11:26 AM)Mooselake Wrote: Replies inline!
The heater is very simple, probably a coil of high resistance wire (sometimes a cartridge, rarely a resistor, but I don't think the Anubis does that), it either works or it doesn't.  I'd suspect either the thermistor (how do you know there's wild temperature swings) or intermittent wiring to it.  The MOSFETS on the controller might be janky, but they usually fail to full on, not to intermittent  It's also possible the heater PID parameters are set wrong, look up PID autotune and follow the directions, then use the classic autotune numbers to set the firmware parameters and save them to the eeprom.  How do you know the temperature is varying?  A graph from your controller software, or actual measurement?

I first noticed the swings when i finally hooked up the bed heater that came with my printer. when i powered the either the bed or hot end it would power them both. im assuming because it was only powering one and leaching to the other that it couldnt properly control and was wildly over and under compensating with the PID. After noticing the swings i measured with my infrared gun and my Fluke 28 II with temp probe. both measurements were consistent with the output of Repetier host to within 2. I did find the culprit and im not sure why but someone had attached a small heatsink to the top of the transistors that feed the hot end and bed heater. in a desperate attempt i removed all added items from the old QU BD black board. after removing the small heatsink everything went swimmingly! but at this point i had already bought the arduino ramps combo and Lite6

I did upgrade to the E3D Lite6 and one huge thing that stood out in comparing the two is that the nozzle on the anUBIS is way bigger than it ought to be. i can only assume why. might have been my issue all along. i almost thought they had sent me a .2 nozzle with the Lite6. and honestly e3d doesnt mark there nozzles clearly so its still possibility....

Are you using the spool of PLA, or possibly the same manufacturer?  It's quite possible it's diameter isn't very consistent (easy to test, get out your digital calipers and measure, take several at right angles and average them), more so if it's from the cheap bin.  PLA also can pick up water from the air and give extrusion problems.  I like H&H 3D Plastics filament (they're about as local as filament gets to the moose swamp) but there's a number of quality manufacturers these days.  

Currently i have 4 spools of PLA. two old spools, 1 glow in the dark Hatchbox brand and 1 black no name brand. these came with the printer. and 2 brand new spools of hatchbox grey.
so far i havnt noticed any significant difference between the old and new. in fact ive been test printing minecraft skeletons with both grey and glow in the dark and it might be me but the glow in the dark seems way more forgiving... i had read about the nature of PLA and living in western washington i had just assumed it was junk. it had also spent a lot of time in the previous owners window. so it got baked daily by sunlight. score one for Hatchbox.... once installing the light 6 though my layer quality is better and infill and stringing issues are gone. for the most part. ive been slowly tuning with slicer settings. they are way out from trying to tune the anUbis

Instead of ABS, consider giving PETG a try.

Soon...very soon! im not sure i can do PetG though. im going off memory but the Lite6 can only do 240c i beleive PetG is higher...cant remember and running out of time before i have to get ready to go to work.... I do however have some ABS that came with the printer and that is all ruined. i tried running some through the AnUbis to try the Atomic Pull and it was coughing and spitting everywhere....

How flat is your aluminum?  Is it MIC6 or off the shelf plate which is often not all that flat?  If you're industrious you can lap it flat or find a friend with a well set up milling machine.  Try the straightedge/bright light trick and see if you see any gaps.

As of this post ive made two aluminum beds and one aluminum y Bed support. one is 1/4 6061, the other is 1/8 3032 stretched (that might be wrong, i cant quite remember. and its printing right now covered in tape). im privy to some machines at a popular global aerospace factory in the northwest and there are lots of scraps laying around... For giggles and shits when making the 1/4 plate we set it on a stone table thats supposed to be accurate to .0001. and well it made the plate look like shit... lol you couldnt see any light but a little shitty piece of aluminum on that beautiful stone table was almost laughable.

My only issue now is the stupid QuBd X gantry likes to crab walk and drag on the non motor side...