Anet A8 3D Printer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2020, 02:41:32 am
content: I just acquired this printer and it's my first 3D printer with no experience prior.After watching a YouTube video, my understanding: this only uses files in 'gcode' format. I have free 3D software that only saves as STL.I found a wiki page for this printer, but didn't find anything regarding software for it. I did, however, found parts for it that can be printed, but they are in STL.My questions: am I suppose to update the firmware, does software exist specifically for this printer to convert from STL to gcode (or can I load a STL and the printer takes care of the rest)?

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2020, 03:02:22 am
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 06, 2020, 02:41:32 amno, dont mess around with firmware... and no, yuo cant feed your printer with stl file, it doesnt compute that... only gcode files... this guy uses Cura to convert to gcode (second half of video). most of us use Repetier host, you can download them free and try if gcode output is compatible with your printer...

author: BroMarduk
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 06, 2020, 03:04:04 am
content: The "magic" takes place in software called a slicer. That converts STL to gcode for your printer. There are different 'versions' of gcode for 3D printing.This explains it a bit:https://all3dp.com/2/anet-a8-software-what-you-really-need/and recommends a slicer (free - Cura). There are other free and paid slicers out there as well.

author: tpowell1830
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2020, 07:19:54 pm
content: Hi bostonman, I have that printer as well, be careful with the acrylic while assembling. Cura will slice your STL file into the correct g-code. Last time I downloaded Cura, it was free.Thomas Sandladerer has a recent series regarding 3d printing on YT, link below. He is very seasoned using the FDM style printers and his channel is all about 3d printing. I recommend watching his channel.https://www.youtube.com/user/ThomasSanladerer/videosEDIT: To be clear, Cura is used to slice the STL file, but it is done on your PC, not on the printer. In Cura is also where you set your head speed, temperatures, etc.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2020, 01:07:45 am
content: From my understanding, this printer had a fire issues which was fixed with a MOSFET.This printer has the MOSFET. Should I be concerned with anything else?

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2020, 01:38:57 am
content: By the way, this printer came built. Long story on how I acquired it, but I have some knowledge of when it was built, so I know a few things about it.One question I have are regarding the vertical threaded rod. Above them is a while, and I assume the threaded rod should go through the hole. Currently they are in the coupler and the threaded rod basically sits in free air.My guess is they are mounted in the coupler too deep and they should sit inside the hole so they don't vibrate.

author: tpowell1830
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2020, 01:44:31 am
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 07, 2020, 01:38:57 amThis is an adequate printer, not great, but does okay. The vertical leadscrews should be in the hole on top, also, there is a swing plate that covers these holes. You are probably correct that the coupler needs adjustment.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2020, 01:56:46 am
content: anet a8 is an upgrade and newer version than my older cloned prusa (aurora) acrylic based chassis printer thats undergone few modifications during its lifetime including addition of LCD on top chassis part (it seems anet follows my setup and placement) my double vertical thread both hanging in the air no issue about that, the unthreaded rods with bearings are the one who guide the head dead upright, the threaded rods only provide push up. not sure what issue about mosfet, every mosfet should be fine.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2020, 02:01:32 am
content: QuoteThe assembly directions don't seem very clear. The swing plate is currently covering the vertical rods.I thought maybe the threaded rods should sit outside the hole as the rods hold the head steady, however, it does seem logical the threaded rods should sit within the holes.It also seems as if the holes should have some plastic insert so the holes don't stretch over time - but I don't see that option.As for the MOSFET, the original design doesn't have a separate MOSFET board. Without the board, the connector to the hot plate can melt the plastic connector.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2020, 01:08:56 pm
content: I'm finding more YouTube videos about setting up the printer such as alignment.So far I'm just trying to understand this printer, but information seems a bit scattered.Some questions I have:I asked about the vertical threaded rod having to sit within the hole. Should I ruin the existing alignment by loosening the coupler and moving them up a bit?After a few mm of printing has been done, can I turn off the hot plate to save power and reduce chances of fire? If so, if I pause the printing process and turn off the hot plate, will that lose the printing file or will it continue printing exactly where I paused it? I guess my question is also: why does the hot plate need to be on?Currently the hot plate has ripped tape on it along with a piece of glass. The nozzle seems clogged so nothing is coming out, but, if I remember correctly, a problem existed with the filament not sticking to the hot plate during the first few passes. The glass is just resting on the hot plate which means it can move. Should I remove the ripped tape and apply a fresh layer, and then somehow mount the glass so it doesn't move? When printing, how do I make the filament stick to the slippery glass?As for aligning, just refer to YouTube videos or does more information exist?

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2020, 09:15:44 pm
content: Wow, this post has become *a lot* longer than i expected. And also a bit rambly, i'm sorryI have a ANET A8 as well. Since you got it ready build, i assume it is second hand? Do you know how much it is customized, mechanically and electrically? Maybe you can provide a couple of pictures. As far as i know there are actually several different versions of the A8 out there.The upper ends of the threaded rods are indeed loose. That is not really an issue though, the stability of the Z axis comes from the other two rods. Fixing the threaded rods in place might actually lead to issues.One thing that annoys me with that threaded rod construction is the fact that when you press the extruder down while loading new filament, the whole Z axis assembly tends to slide down, becoming unaligned. I now make sure before every print to properly level the Z axis by measuring both sides and manually moving the motors, *after* i load the filament.The frame of the A8 is not very stable, and it is quite dificult to keep it aligned. If it isn't already, fix it to some base plate to help with rigidity.General tips for better leveling, and therefore sticking of the first layer:Remove one of the four bed leveling screws. Seriously. Also, if you still have the default bed holder with it's threaded holes, drill those threads out. That construction is one of the major flaws of the A8 in my opinion. With three screws and the threads removed, you can adjust the bed height just by turning the wing-nuts.Filament loading and verification:- Move the printhead manually to outside the printbed- Load the filament. It helps to straigten it out, and to cut a sharp end. That makes it easier to actually hit the heatbreak hole.- Select "Preheat PLA" (assuming you use PLA), that heats the head to 190c and the bed to 50c- Go to Movement -> Extruder and move the extruder. Have a finger on the filament, to see if it is actually pulled in.If the filament is properly loaded, it should extrude now, it might take a couple of centimeters (each step here is a millimeter)If it is pulled in but nothing comes out of the nozzle, i'm afraid you will need to disassemble the extruder. The likely cause is that you missed the hole in the heatbreak and the filament is twisting around in the extruder.To disassemble the extruder(from memory, sorry):- remove one of the screws holding the fan. This is a long screw, i goes all the way to the stepper- remove the second, just as long, screw, while holding the extruder button down a bit. The spring loading makes this a bit fiddly.- pull of the fan (let it dangle), remove the heatsink.You then should be able to see the extruder screw that is fixed to the axle of the stepper, and below that the top of the heatbreak. See if that is free of obstructions.If there is filament stuck in the heatbreak, try to pull this out with pliers. If it is stuck, preheat, then it should come out if pulled.The heatbreak does not need to be fully free.Re-assembly of the extruder can be a bit fiddly, again, due to the spring loading, and because the stepper can move out of alignment with the screw holes.My "pre-print" prodedure is as follows:- Load the filament. It is somewhat tricky to be sure if the filament is properly inserted.- Before leveling the bed, make sure the Z axis assembly is aligned, as i mentioned above.- Level the bed on all three corners that still have screws, with some receipt paper. Turn the screws until you can move the paper without sratching. Doublecheck the remaining corner as well, to make sure your bed is not crooked.- Preheat PLA and wait until both bed and headbed have reached their temperature.- Manually extrude until you get a steady "stream" of extruded filament- "reverse extrude" a couple of millimeters, that reduces leaking- use flush side cutters to remove the extruded filament- Now start your print from SD card.- I then stand ready, sidecutters in hand, to make sure that no leaked filament gets stuck on the bed in an inconvieneient place. While the print is doing the "skirt", there is still opportunity to strip crap from the bed.I do this every time. I might skip bed leveling though if i print back to back, but only of the Z axis did not go out of alignment.My bed is just a custom cut mirror tile. With proper adjustments like those above, and slicer settings i talk about below, I never had sticking issues. I only had issues when i though i could skip a step :pOn to slicing, which is also a big topic to get really right.I use Cura to slice, the build in ANET A8 hardware profile settings work and don't need adjusting.Good beginner settings are, assuming PLA filament, default nozzle size of 0.4mm, and a glass plate not thermally coupled to the heatbed:- Layer Height: 0.2- line width: 0.4- Infill: 20%- Infill pattern: Cubic- Printing Temperature: 200c (depends on the filament, but 200 is good start)- Build Plate Temperature: 60c (lower if you print directly on the bed)- Speed: 50 mm/s (maybe lower if the frame is not stable)- Print Accelleration: 500 mm/s (down from the default of 1000 mm/s, this greatly reduces "ghosting")- Build Plate Adhesion Type: Skirt (if this is nor working for you, start with Brim)Skirt means that, before the actual print, a rough outline will be made. That cleans the printhead and makes sure that filament is actually ready when the proper print starts.A skirt is not attached to the print (and therefore does not help with adhesion), a brim, while similar, is attached to the object and helps the object to stick better, but needs to be removed afterwards.Be aware that the printing time that Cura shows is not a good estimation. Add up to 20% to be sure.Also, the A8 does not properly support printing via USB from cura, so store the saved GCODE to an SD card.I have build my A8 from the kit, and have modified it quite a bit now. It is a decent printer for it's price, but also a printer that needs time. But that time is well spent, you will learn a lot about the mechanics of the printer.This post is mainly about the mechanical side and slicing, and i am running out of time for today. I can write some stuff about the electrical aspects of a stock A8 tomorrow if you want. But i want to put at least a warning out, should it still be stock: Do not run it unattended. The cabling is barely adequate, the power supply is crappy, and the MOSFET for the headbed on the mainboard can easily be overloaded.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2020, 12:47:02 am
content: QuoteThis is a bit scary. From what I know, this is all original except for the MOSFET.It's probably not a fast printer (depending on the size of the object), so I'd imagine it needs to be unsupervised for many prints.How can I make this safe so it doesn't burn down my house?

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2020, 12:52:40 am
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 09, 2020, 12:47:02 amUpgrade the firmware for thermal runaway protection, for a start.The MOSFET is not really a problem. The connectors, however, are. It's far too easy to crack the solder.Frankly the best advice is to get something better.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2020, 12:58:52 am
content: you probably have issue with thermostat. make sure it is stucked to the bed pretty good. properly regulated bed only 60-140 degC barely warm a piece of paper, let alone to burn it or the silicone insulated cabling. my clone Melzi HW and mosfets and FW (old marlin) worked since day 1 until today, its good to have thermal runaway protection in FW but it only activated when you have something wrong in HW, thats where you need to fix first. if HW working properly, even the old FW can do the job well.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2020, 01:06:16 am
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on July 09, 2020, 12:58:52 amThere is no silicone insulated wiring on an A8.The whole point of runaway protection is to prevent a fire if there's a fault with the hardware, and you cannot fix a bad thermistor before it happens.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2020, 01:12:19 am
content: Mechatrommer, in your first reply to my initial question, you stated not to mess with FW.My assumption was that I can ruin the board, so messing with updating it is probably not safe. I'm unsure what FW version is currently installed on this, I assume I can find out through the online menu.Currently I'm watching a video on updating the FW. Is the FW the same for all Anet printers or should I look for a specific one? If different variations of the A8 exist, then how do I know if I"m getting the correct FW (assuming more than one exists)?In any case, my understanding about safety issues are:the hot bed and the extruder - these are the only two items that get hot and can cause an issue. If a few layers are printed, can I turn off the hot bed?As for wiring, should I replace all the wiring so it doesn't melt?

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2020, 02:28:08 am
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 09, 2020, 01:12:19 amyes because messing with FW is more difficult than improving HW. from your first post, it sounded like you are really beginner when you asked what program to use to slice your model into gcode. you should make study in the net before buying something to avoid ended up buying lemon or a paper weight. if you got FW setting wrong, your printer can brick, without adequate effort to search in google, it will take long pages in forum for others to help you. i suspect your printer using atmel chip in arduino compatible board, so you can upgrade with just using arduino IDE. but if your board is arm based arduino, or other than arduino, then you are on your own. but if you think you are more comfortable to edit FW config and uploading it to your printer, then carry on. we just tried to make safest advice based on the person background who is asking. ymmv. as for the start, i assume your printer is using reprap class FW, marlin is the most famous one expanded to be compatible with lots of printers reincarnation out there, the catch is, when you download it, it will default to some generic model, you have to edit to your specific printer config, you can look at the marlin website see if you can manage modifying it.Quote from: bostonman on July 09, 2020, 01:12:19 amits unlikely your board will get damaged, it just behave erratically or not function at all due to wrong configuration. but when you get the FW and config right, your printer should work again.Quote from: bostonman on July 09, 2020, 01:12:19 amyou need to look and google into your printer's board, what type is it. is it melzi? mk? cheaptronic or what? i can see one config file in marlin called pins_anet_10.h but i'm not sure if its compatible to yours you have to figure out that yourself. how to edit marlin FW also available in their website. if you decide to use marlin, i can probably help you, but you have to be able to map you board which mcu pin goes to where. it will be difficult for us to figure that out from pictures posted in forum. ymmv.Quote from: bostonman on July 09, 2020, 01:12:19 amhot bed only so the 1st layer of printout stick to the board, you can turn it off after it finish printing base layer. but you will probably experience more warped printout, esp ABS material. you probably can go without warping with some type of PLA filament.Quote from: bostonman on July 09, 2020, 01:12:19 ami dont think you shold replace them, maybe later. as i said 60-140 degC can barely heat anything if feedback circuit is working right. if the thing goes really hot up to burn something, then the problem is something else, HW or FW. your effort should go to anything else more important. as others said, dont leave it unattended first during printing, check if anything wrong, check temperature. is extruder works ok extruding filament, no blockage? level your bed, make all squared print dimension at right angle etc. make your printout right first then you can start thinking aesthetic or extra protection. ymmv.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2020, 02:38:08 am
content: QuoteI wouldn't leave it unattended for the first time, and would remain with it for a few minutes during future prints. If it would take a full day to print stuff, I assume it will need to remain unattended and/or run while I'm not home. Obviously I want to take every safe measure and replace/update anything that may be an issue.I'll post pictures tomorrow including the board and power supply. At that point, at least the advice I'm offered will be for known stuff.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2020, 02:21:21 am
content: I took pictures of the printer.Hopefully this helps with figuring out what version I have and any safety issues that should be upgraded.

author: ChunkyPastaSauce
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 10, 2020, 07:33:53 am
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 09, 2020, 12:47:02 amQuote from: bostonman on July 09, 2020, 02:38:08 amDo the safety upgrades you're thinking, but nothing guarantees a fire wont happen; the main thing I think is not to run unattended where a fire could propagate beyond the printer... so nothing flammable around it, under it, or above it and no material on or in the printer that could fly away while burning (paper, film, etc). The smoke maybe pretty toxic too, possibly a lot with a kg+ roll of filament, so may want to think where the smoke may go (animals, people). Fire alarm.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2020, 08:36:34 am
content: Ok, the powersupply is still stock from what i can see. I expect it to get quite warm, if not hot during printing. Also, mine dropped to around 11 volts during heating.The 12V cabling also *looks* somewhat whimpy. I would suggest measuring the voltaged with both heaters active, on supply side and mainboard side.What i am unsure is the cabling of the heatbed. The stock connector has space for 2 positive and negative connections, but only one each is populated. I would suggest to use the second port each as well.Some other things have been modified though:The Hotbed is already using a separated mosfetOne of the hotbed screws has been removedWhat is your current status with the printer? Where you able to extrude material now?

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2020, 12:17:15 pm
content: QuoteI haven't done anything with this except power it upon receiving it. Initially I wanted to read a manual, however, seems most information is in pieces.I believe a more robust power supply was purchased, and it may be located soon during a cleanup process.As for the hotbed wires, I assume the connector using only one pin for voltage, and one pin for ground, was the original design. So it's probably best if I buy pins and utilize all four pins to split the current?I can take more pictures if need be; just let me know what else you need to look at. As for the video, I'll watch it tonight.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2020, 02:14:08 pm
content: I think a picture of the extruder with the hotend would be helpful, to see if it is modified.There is not a manual available for the A8 as far as i am aware.It is very much a printer for people wanting to do stuff themselves. The building instructions were surprisingly good, but still not without errors. I assume you have the building instructions available?Much of the usage of the printer itself was trial and error, maybe i can give you a couple of pointersSo, a first test would be, as you said, powering it on. The extruder fan (the one on the left of the extruder) should immediately start spinning up, and it will likely be annoyingly loud. If it does not spin, and the axial fan at the front spins, the fan connectors on the mainboard are reversed(that happened to me)If there are annoying resonances, you can fiddle around with the screws holding the fans. If those are too tight, the fans tend to become even louder.The display should show the current temperature of both the hotend and the heatbed. They may not be accurate, but it is important that values are shown. If not, verify thermistor connections.After that, there are a couple of things to check:Manually move the extruder left and right, so see if it can freely move.Do the same for the headbed.If one or both axises are not easily movable, check the alignment of the frame and also check if the metal rods are actually straight. If you have oil available (i used bike chain oil) you can also lighly oil the rods.If manual movement is OK, go to the quick settings menu and do a "Home All". This will check if the motors are all working and the endstops are properly set up.Note that when you use a movement command from the menu, the steppers "lock up" and you cannot move manually anymore. There is an "disable steppers" command in the quick settings to make manual movent possible again, or restart the printer.After the "Home All", move the printhead over the heatbed to see if the Z endstop is properly set. A few milimeters can be adjusted with the headbed screws, but if there is too much difference you should adjust the endstop.If that is OK, the next steps would be to verify the heaters: In the menu, under quicksettings, there should be an option "Preheat PLA". Executing that will heat the hotend to 190c, and the heatbed to 50c. Some LEDs on the mainboard and the mosfet board should light up, and you should see the temperatures rising. This would be a good time to verify the 12 volts on the supply and the mainboard, to see if it is actually stable.Keeping that active for a while should show any immediate power issues.When you are satisfied, execute "Cooldown" in the quicksettings, or switch the printer off and on again.Do you have filament available? If not, get some 1.75mm diameter PLA filament in a color of your choice, to get started.I will outline testing and maybe even your first printing later, if you want.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 12:29:36 am
content: How many heaters does this printer have - or high current circuits?I don't know what a 'hot end' is. I thought it's just the hot bed (the plate) and the extruder.Here are more pictures... let me know what you think.

author: ChunkyPastaSauce
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 12:44:49 am
content: The hot end is made up of the hot parts of the extruder. The extruder is (usually) everything from the filament feed/drive to the nozzle output, including the hot end.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 01:29:21 am
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 10, 2020, 12:17:15 pmQuote from: bostonman on July 11, 2020, 12:29:36 amyour printer looks fine better than mine when it arrived. the cabling that goes to hotbed on my printer is directly soldered, no nice connector like yours.... without testing it to see where is the problem, this is just an open quiz... we cant be too careful.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 01:41:31 am
content: I appreciate the compliments.At some point this weekend I'm going to measure voltages. I know this printer "works" because it was a friend's printer, but he's no longer around to tell me what he did to it.Initially I assisted with the wiring, but I didn't have any idea about upgrades and stuff. I plan to make it a bit more pretty including the threaded rod for the hot plate doesn't have a nut, so the rear piece is bent inward.If I understand things correctly:I need to update the firmware (what changes are in the new firmware, where do I find what they are, and how do I know what the existing FW version is loaded?)Double the wiring on the hot plateUpgrade the power supply (the existing 20A isn't enough?)Power it and check the two () heaters - the hot bed and the extruder - to make sure they don't over heatShould I scrap off the tape on the hotbed and replace it? Does the sheet of glass need to be taped down or just sit on top loose?Once I do all the above, is this printer consider "safe and free of fire" (this ignores the possibility of a thermistor breaking off, or something technical going wrong). I imagine if only two assemblies get hot (and someone said I can turn off the hotplate after a few layers are printed), I can build a secondary safety circuit to measure temperature and turn off the two heaters if they exceed a value.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 08:37:59 am
content: There are indeed two heaters on the printer. The first picture of your second picture post shows the hotend heater. This is just a cylindrical heating element inside that small metal block. This should be held in place with a small grub screw within the block. Next to the heating element there should be a smaller hole where the thermistor is located. In the stock hotend this only held in place with the kapton tape binding it to the heater wire, so there is a *small* chance that the thermistor might get dislodged from it's hole.When that happens, the printer reads lower hotend temperatures and starts increasing power to the hotend, causing it to overheat, potentially causing a fire. Or the wire might break (it is constantly moved after all), causing a 0c reading, prompting more power to the heater as well.That is the reason why a firmware update is recommended, since the stock firmware will not notice if that happens.The hotbed is the second heater. It is essentially nothing more than PCB tracks on an aluminium backed PCB. Additionally, there is a small indent in the middle on the underside where a thermistor is located, and near the connector there is an LED in parallel to the heating track.If you have a sheet of glass, then you can remove the tape. You can fix the glass in place, if it has the same size as the heatbed, just with a couple of foldover paperclips. Two clips are enough. Just be careful to place them in a way that they will not be knocked off by the nozzle. I have mine attached to the top left and lower right corners.Just having the glass loose on the heatbed is not a good idea. If it shifts at all during a print, your print will be ruined.I also see now that i made an error earlier. There are apparently all four hotbed screws still in place. That will make leveling fiddly with a glass plate in place, blocking access to the screws from above.The green plastic thing is called a cooling duct. This is clipped to the axial fan at the front of the extruder. This is required to cool down the extruded material right away, helping the printed object keep shape. It is properly attached if the nozzle is still the lowest part of the assembly by a couple of millimeters.To be honest, just to familiarize yourself with the mechanics of the printer, i would suggest that you at least once take apart the whole hotend/extruder assembly. It is helpful to see how it is build to get a feeling for what can go wrong. The other assemblies are a lot more open, but the extruder is somewhat of a black box when it is assembled.You should also consider taking apart the heatbed assembly. If the screw threads are still in place on the heatbed holder, it will be impossible to level the bed properly with the glass plate in place. Also, though this is somewhat unclear from the pictures, the hotbed looks to be *very* tigthly coupled to the holder. It looks like the springs are almost fully compressed. That does not give much wiggle-room to level the bed.Regarding firmware: My printer is still stock. I have not yet come around to replacing the firmware, but i am mostly printing quick stuff, never running it unattended.I was not able to find a way do display a version number on stock firmware.As far as i know, the firmware is installed using the Arduino IDE via the USB port, where you can also pull the current firmware from the board.The A8 is really a printer for people who what to work on the printer. To properly be able to use and troubleshoot it, you need to be familiar with how it is build. But you learn a lot about a system like this this wayIf you just want to print, i would recomment something different.EDIT: I have looked at your pictures a bit more, and noticed some things you should check.- The cabling to the heatbed looks odd. Could it be that the power cables are directly soldered to the bed?- the front cover for the right guidance rod of the Y axis is broken, and the rod is protruding a couple of milimeters. The left one also looks a bit off. This is visible on the picture with the cooling duct. Check those rods, and, more importantly, check if the frame is actually properly squared. Loosen up those nuts (M14 i think) if you have to bring the frame into square.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 01:23:24 pm
content: QuoteThis is good news I assume. This means the FW update will turn off things if it detects any of the thermistors have gone to zero?I plan to disassemble some of this at some point, unfortunately I haven't had a chance, and I don't want to either break it or diassemble it and toss it aside. Hopefully tomorrow I'll look at the wiring and extruder so I can get a better idea of what I'm working with.As for the hotbed, someone said after printing a few layers, turning it off is fine, but may warp a print. Is this correct? I don't see what good having it on after a few layers are printed because it's just wasting power (and is a potential fire hazard).If turning it off after a few layers are printed, will I screw up the printer software if I pause the print, turn off the hotbed, and resume print?If this is possible, then I can just add a second thermistor to the extruder and a circuit that will cut power if it goes above a certain temperature. Unless of course, the FW now handles monitoring and will kill power if it senses the thermistor came lose.I never understood the purpose of the tape on the hotbed, and think at one point hairspray was being used for gripping. The tape is probably baked onto the hotbed, so I may need to scrape it off. Do I need to be careful not to scratch the hotbed or is it fairly tough?

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 02:38:28 pm
content: If you have a glass plate that goes on top, you do not neccessarily have to remove the tape. The bed itself is aluminium and somewhat soft. You can anready see some scratches in your pictures. The tape helps the first layer to stick better and is supposed to be replaced every couple of prints. Another alternative is, as you already said, hairspray. Recently i have heard that many people use some kind of wood particle board, i can't remember the name.I have not tried turning off the hotbed mid-print.I am printing on glass as well, and i would suspect that for prints with small footprints this might become an issue. On cooling down, the object might sometimes loose complete adhesion and actually become loose. That would of course mess up the print. In my experience, with the bed active at all times during the print, and the printer turned off afterwards. After maybe 15 minutes of cooling down i can actually hear the cracling as the object comes loose. After that, for smaller objects, i can simply pick it up. I do not use anything extra (no spray or tape) on the glass at all.With larger footprints, turning off the heatbed might be possible. Larger objects still tend to stick after cooldown.Turning off the heatbed after a set amount of layers is something that would be done in the slicer. In Cura, you can use a custom script to insert certain commands after a certain amount of layers. You would just have to find the proper GCODE commands to turn off the bed. The stock firmware does not have an option to do that manually.Pausing and resuming the print is something i personally have never done. But seeing how much filament still oozes out of the hotend even after the full end of print filament retraction i would assume this will be visible in the print.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2020, 01:17:32 am
content: QuoteI didn't know what you were talking about until I looked closer. The bed is messed up; I assume because the assembly directions weren't clear. I know my friend spent a good deal of time assembling it, but he must have made some errors.I wanted to measure voltages/currents, but got involved with disassembling the hotbed. Many screws have become lose, either due to not being tight initially, or vibrations caused it them to come lose. Either way, I'm applying thread lock. Also, one of the aluminum plates that hold the sliders for the rod was bent. Not sure why, but I'm in the process of tightening and aligning things.Attached are two pictures. The wires are soldered directly and looks like it should have had two for each (positive and ground). I'll be adding more wires for safety.Is the thermistor correct? I don't see how it's attached to the connector to measure the head.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 12:34:57 am
content: Whoever suggest diassembling the printer to become familiar with it made a great suggestion.I began with the hotplate and discovered most of the screws holding the bearing () sliders were loose. As I went through the printer, I found almost all the screws were loose. I began using low strength thread lock on all of them and aligning things.This is what I've found so far that I'm questioning:The aluminum bracket for the hotplate has two holes that are threaded (or seem threaded) and two that aren't. If the screws go through the aluminum plate with a spring between and a wing nut on the bottom, what is the purpose of the holes being threaded?I figured out why the Y axis rod is extending beyond the bracket. It seems the Y axis belt was too tight because the rear bracket was also bent. I loosened the belt, but uncertain how loose/tight to make it. I noticed when the bearings on the front that the belt loops through don't seem to turn freely. I loosened the screw and the bearings turn when the plate is moving in one direction but not the other causing drag.Onto the extruder...... I took a few pictures and think I see the thermistor. It's the two white wires that are sitting in the hole. Why can't that be filled with epoxy to keep it from slipping out?I'm uncertain I understand how the extruder works. The nozzle is the part that gets hot and seems to be just a piece of hot metal. The gear and bearing is controlled and what feeds the filament.I don't understand why the spring is inside.Also, can I utilize the free hole on the nozzle block to add a second thermistor and build a circuit that will monitor whether the nozzle gets too hot because the first thirmistor failed?Lastly, the fan on the front blows onto the poured filament to cool it. What is the purpose of the side fan?From what I can tell, a few of those small plastic things that hold the rods in place are broken, I'm missing two of the long screws that hold the fan on the extruder (the fan with the fins), and the fan that cools the filament has a crack in the screw mount.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 06:34:57 pm
content: Sorry for my late reply.In order of the things you posted:The location of the thermistor looks OK. I suspect it has been replaced, but i have no idea why the wires were not cropped.The thermistor is connected to the two middle pins of the connector, this is difficult to see with that glossy soldermask.To verify if it works, connect the headbed and turn on the printer and see if it shows temperature. At least i only got gibberish with the G121 in temperature mode, but i know my thermistor works.The soldering on the headbed power connector is a viable way to reduce contact resistance. And considering the thermal mass of the heatbed, that soldering looks good. But you should check if the cable is properly routed so that the connection is not strained by the moving heatbed. There are printable strainreliefs available just for that.Regarding the loose screws: I have a similar issue with them as well. Somehow, if i tighten them all fully, the bed holder warps the frame of the printer *just* a little bit, and the bed cannot freely move anymore. I compromised by having just one screw per block fully tight, all others are a bit loose. I have not yet seen any disadvantage with that.You have found what i meant by removing the threadThe threading in the holes of the bracket serve no purpose, they are actually counterproductive. I would assume that the ones that have no threads anymore were already accidentally stripped.The belt can be finnicky to properly tighten. Another printable improvement would be a adjustable belt tensionerBut that will only work well with the printer fixed in place on a MDF plate or similar.To get a feel for the belt, turn the stepper manually. You should be able to feel the steps. If with every step the plate actually moves, you are on a good way. Good enough anyway. If you cannot move the plate by hand all the way back and to the front, the belt is too tight, or loosen up some screws. Too tight a belt will also warp the frame.The ultimate test can again only be done by turning on the printer and moving the axis from the display controls.On to the hotend: See those two red wires with the thick fabric insulation, additionally wrapped in kapton tape. Those go to the heater cartridge that is embedded in the aluminium block. On the undersize of the block, next to the nozzle, there is a tiny grubscrew holding the cartridge in place.The nozzle is just a brass piece that can be unscrewed from the block with a hex driver. Some filaments may cause increased wear on the nozzle, or you might want a larger (or finer) nozzle for certain prints. Thats why this is relaceable. As to why the thermistor is not fixed in place? I would say that is a classic case of "good enough"I have no experience with epoxy, but you also need to keep in mind that the hotend can reach 250c or higher in still normal conditions.The gear and bearing are commonly called the extruder. I have attached a picture of my extruder. Some modifications i made to my printer (Google "Anet A8 Bowden") have made the extruder open and therefore easily visible. Also note that the extruder is rotated 90degrees counter clockwise in my construction. The blue part is printed, that nasty screw messed up my fingers :p And ignore that tube.The filament goes between the roller at the bottom and the toothed wheel that is attached to the stepper. The filament needs to be pushed into the hot nozzle with some force, and that requires the spring preasure to firmly clamp the filament. That is also part of the reason for that side fan.The side fan cools down the extruder. PLA for example goes already noticably soft at around 60c. The heat of the hotend would go up too far and soften the filament while it is still in the extruder. The spring preasure then might squash the filament, and extrusion will not work anymore. That is something that you do *not* want to happenFor reference i have also attached a picture of what the display should show with the printer just turned on and idle. Stock firmware.The first row shows the the temperatures as follows: Hotend current temperature/target temperature, followed by heatbed current temperature/target temperature.The third attached picture shows the process of heating up. There you can see that the target temps changed, and the current temps are live. This was after a couple of seconds of preheating.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2020, 06:45:54 pm
content: One picture more for reference, showing my glassplate. Actually, this is a cut to size mirror tile, since apparently window glass or similar is not flat enoughSee the two green foldover clips holding the glass down.At the front of the picture you can just see printed parts of the belt tensioner and mounting brackets. In the top left just visible is a custom cooling duct.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 03:12:47 am
content: Great pictures and explanation.Little by little, I'm figuring out things, however, I'm also seeing issues.I plan to drill out the threads on the frame for the hotbed. This way the leveling will be controlled by the wingnuts.I measured the resistance of the heating element and got about 1.2 to 1.3 ohms. At 12V DC, that's 10A. I don't know the wire size that was used, but looking online (American Wire Gauge), 20AWG is the size that would handle that. Maybe it's worth using thicker wire as a precaution.Has anyone made a base for it? I'd like to secure the bracket that holds the servo for the Y belt. Tightening the belt can cause that bracket to bow. I have a nice thick piece of plexiglass that's luckily cut to the ideal size, and mounting the brackets to the plexiglass will not only keep them aligned, but will allow to transport the printer easier. So I'd like to find some ideas on how to secure the printer onto a platform, and also keep the brackets mounted so they don't bend.After getting my hands dirty with almost every inch of the printer, I only found a few issues, and most are in the extruder.I disassembled it and forgot where a small pan hex head goes. I think it goes on the bottom to hold the bracket in place that the fan screws into. Is this correct?The extruder is missing the spring, so I need to figure out how to get a replacement (including the correct assembly because it seems it's missing some hardware). Also, when tightening the arm hex screw that is used to pivot the bearing, too tight, and the arm doesn't pivot, too lose and the screw will come out. How is this set?Does the fan that cools the filament (the one mounted to the heat sink) blow in or out? I removed it and the screws came out, so I lost track of which way it was positioned. Initially I thought the fan needed four screws and I was missing two, however, I learned there are only two holes for two screws.On a side note, all the reading and tinkering, I've concluded this printer seems to be a constant work-in-progress. The most important is reducing/eliminating the fire hazard. I can agree, leaving it unattended isn't smart (as I'd be against leaving anything that hot unattended), but if a print can take a day or longer, I don't see myself sitting by it for the whole time. I assume I could always pause it, turn off the heaters, and resume later on, however, I would think it would cause flaws in the print. But as a constant work-in-progress, I'd like to get this up and running so I can start using it for printing items I need rather than printing stuff to get the printer ready to print items.I like the Anet Bowden upgrade.... but that seems like lots of work and lots of wasted filament since it's a good foot or two from the servo to the extruder.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 09:03:16 am
content: I have my printer mounted on a thick (18 mm) plywood base. Held down with 8 holders similar to these:https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1305674Then i have also printed this belt tensioner:https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2149867I also made a couple of L-shaped brackets that go flush against the frame in the front and in the back and are screwed to the plywood base, but i cannot finde the file for those anymore.Those stop the frame from being pulled together when the belt tension is increased.That belt tensioner, especially the screw and base plate, is a good benchmark to see if the printer and the slicer are properly set up. I made 6 or 7 of them until i was able to get the screw to print properly *and* fitThe pan head screw fixes the lower part of the extruder to the bracket. It goes in to hole at the bottom of the bracket next to the slot. So you have that right.You might be able to repurpose one of the bed springs for the extruder, i think they are the same. And leveling the bed is easier with only three screws anyway. The screw for the "arm" of the extruder can be loose. It cannot fall out, since the extruder is fully covered by the cooling element and the fan anyway.There should also be a second hex nut on the rod connecting the hotend to the extruder. That way it is possible to fix the hotend in a way that it cannot twist.I think this is the PDF that was included with my kit. I have misplaced the disk, so i am not entirely sure. But from what i can see it fits:https://www.china-gadgets.de/app/uploads/2016/11/A8-3D-Printer-Installation-Instructions-2016-6-30.pdfLook at page 27 to see how the hotend and extruder are assembled.And yes, as was already said: The A8 is a printer for people who want to invest time into the printer itself. I personally love it for this, because you inevitably learn so much about the mechanical side of thingsThe bowden upgrade does not waste filament. While in the tube, the filament is still solid and can be (and is) fully retracted after the print. But this is an advanced upgrade that will require a couple of printed parts and a new hotend kit.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 12:08:07 pm
content: Those brackets look good.As for page 27 of the PDF, I saw that already. It's not clear because does the red circle at the bottom of the spring mean a screw should go there so the spring doesn't move or is the bottom of the spring just resting on the bracket? It also doesn't show the direction of the fan.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 12:53:27 pm
content: There is a small threaded rod that goes into the hole from the top. This is just to hold the spring into place so that it does not slip out. This rod can be adjusted from one end with an allen key.Then the pan head screw you mentioned goes into the same hole, through the bracket, holding the assembly in place.I took the time and rebuild the original extruder, minus the fan.Give me a couple of minutes, i will edit pictures in.EDIT: Something came up, pictures will be ready in an hour or so.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 02:18:45 pm
content: Ok, picturesAttach the lower black part of the extruder to the bracket with a short M4 screw, on the right, from below. Into the same hole from above goes the small threaded rod. into the hole on the left goes the large hollow rod. The side with the slight funnel goes up, on the other sie you can see the innter PTFE lining of that rod. Scre the rod so that it is flush with the upper rim and secure it with a nut from belowAttach the lever arm to the stepper. Don't fully tighten up the screw so that the arm will be able to move. Screw in the thumbscrew (don't forget the nut) loosely into the topPlace the spring on the threaded rod. Place the two parts together so that the holes on the stepper align with the holes in the lower part. By hand screw in the thumbscrew somewhat, so that the spring cannot escape anymore. Fix the thumbscrew with the nut.This shows the assembled extruder, without the fan, i have misplaced itThe cooling element goes first, then the fan with the grille. Use long screws to fix it in place. As you noticed already, those are only held in place with the two bottom screws. If you have it, thread a second nut on the connecting rod. Then screw on the heaterblock until the wires are pointing straight to the right. With two nuts that should just fit.EDIT: Image upload is wonky here...I also forgot to mention: The fan should blow onto the cooler.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 02:26:28 pm
content: QuoteDamn, I have that short hex pan head screw that goes from the bottom up, but I don't have the short threaded rod for the bottom side of the spring (which I also don't have) to sit on.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 02:46:16 pm
content: You can just as well use a longer screw. This is really just to keep the spring in place. but since the set is metric, I do not know if you can easily get those...

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 02:59:06 pm
content: I agree. Sadly some of these foreign toys use such small screws that you can't get them in your local Home Depot.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 01:20:09 am
content: I made an error, I do have the spring that goes inside the extruder. Turns out it must have fallen without me knowing because I moved the printer and it was sitting underneath it.I had mounted the heatplate (plan to drill the holes soon), so I couldn't compare springs. Are all five springs the same or is one different for the extruder?Also, I asked, but don't believe it got answered. Which way does the fan on the side of the extruder face? I know the fins on the heatsink face outwards, but not sure about the fan direction. I'd assume either way, but on the fins (i.e. blowing in) would be more effective; although I'm uncertain how the heatsink actually pulls heat out of the extruder since it doesn't touch anything.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 07:47:47 am
content: Sorry, i only mentioned that in one of my edits...The fan should blow towards the cooler. And you are right, this is not really an effective solution; i suspect that this is the main reason for the loudness of that fan. It has to move a lot of air.The spring in the extruder is either the same one as the ones in the heatbed, or similar enough to work. In can't be entirely sure though, since i have only four spings in total (three under the bed and one in the extruder). I lost my sparepart box a while agoThe missing threaded rod can conceivably be replaced by a small wooden dowel screwed into that hole as well. That area of the extruder should not get hot enough for that being an issue. If it gets too hot, you already have a bigger issue going on :pIf you want i can write up a step by step guide to verify the mechanics via the control panel when the printer is assembled again. All with stock firmware though.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 12:08:38 pm
content: QuoteThought I mentioned that I have all the hardware at this point. I thought two pieces of threaded rod existed from looking at pictures online, but I was wrong, it's only the one in the extruder.The only pieces of hardware I'm missing is a wingnut for the hotbed (I plan to keep all four standoffs for now), and two of those caps that hold the rods in place because two broke.At the moment, now that I understand this printer better, some of the associated issues, and some of the upgrades that exist, as far as I can tell, the printer is basically in its original configuration at the moment and ready to "print" (minus needing two caps so the Z rods don't slip out of place - I stole the Z rod caps to hold the Y rods in place).Currently the extruder nozzle is plugged, but I'm hoping to clear that once it's hot.Two questions on the hotplate. When I use the piece of glass, I know clips can be used. Is there a chance the clips will crack the glass? From pictures, they look like standard paper clips (which I have), but those are usually quite strong. Also, glass is slippery, should I use hairspray so the filament doesn't slip?As for a startup procedure, that would be nice. I'm guessing it may be easier to reset the limits because the Z axis setting may be too low and come down hard on the glass.I'm thinking just start from scratch with leveling the hotbed, X, Y, Z, and home, locations/limits.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 12:29:27 pm
content: I was afraid of cracking the glass with the clips as well at first.But the size i have are open essentially as far as they go and are laying almost flat on the glass. The only issue i had was that my first placement was bad and the nozzle shoved the clip offLuckily that resulted only in a very minor chip on the edge where the clip was.I would do first tests without any additional spray. This should not be required if the bed is properly leveled, the hot filament is quite sticky itself. Do you know the type of filament you have? I have only ever worked with PLA myself. PETG supposedly handles the same. ABS, which the printer officially supports is quite a different beast as far as i am aware.I will write up a short verification procedure and will explain the menus somewhat, but as i said, only for stock firmware, i do not know how much custom firmwares will change.I can also explain how i level the bed, but the exact procedure will not be the same for four screws. The principle stays the same, but you may need some additional steps.I would not worry about the nozzle being clogged. I was myself a bit surprised how much material stays in there after cooldown, but that is normal. If you have all original parts there should also be a spare nozzle in the kit. While you are at it, can you check if the nozzle size is stamped on it somewhere? If you can't find it, it's reasonably safe to assume 0.4mm though, as that is the default size, and mine is not stamped.I can also write down my findings regarding calibration and slicer settings if you wish.Don't worry, i wanted to write all that stuff down somewhere anyway, but never came around to that :p This is as good an opportunity as any

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 12:47:23 pm
content: The filament is 1.75mm PLA.I don't know the parameter the printer covers, so I don't know what size clips to use at the moment (I want to utilize the full size of the bed for prints). Also, I cleaned the tape off the hotbed, so it's nice shiny aluminum (with a tiny ding from what looks like the nozzle hitting it at one point). Personally I'd rather use something better than clips because of the pressure they apply, and it looks like you're cheating by using clips instead of something more appropriate.I imagine a tremendous amount of power is wasted. The hotbed is a large heat sink with a piece of glass on top. The glass can't sit flush, so the heat transfer must be horrible. I'd imagine a layer of thermal paste would be more effective.The write up will be nice. First order of business will be updating firmware in order to reduce potential fire after I do a basic print (I assume I need to realign the printer after updating). initially I thought the firmware was from the factory, but this is all open source. Is there control over firmware versions or can I download firmware from someone who programmed it to torch my printer? Maybe my question should be: where do I find reliable firmware versions?

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 01:05:56 pm
content: You can also print directly on the bed, or re-apply some tape.If the bed is not bend, there will not be much chance of breaking the glass though.True, I loose maybe a centimeter of printarea for each clip. But consider that the A8 is not a fast printer at all. Actually fully using the print area will likely result in prints taking days.Its always a compromise, obviously.Preparing the writeup will take some time, but I hope i will be able to post something today.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 06:00:40 pm
content: Took me a bitPrinter verification, step by stepTerms, just to be sure we (and the printer) are talking about the same thingsx-axis: The axis with the printhead moving left and righty-axis: The axis with the heatbed moving back and forwardz-axis: The axis with the printhead moving up and downStep 1: Verify movability with the printer turned offMove the heatbed all the way to the back until the endstop engages. Then move it fully to the front and back again. Ensure that it can easily move.Move the printhead fully to the left until the endstop endstop engages, then move it all the way to the right and back again. Ensure that it can easily move.Make sure the x-axis is level. The lower corner of the white bearing-housing and the frame where the stepper is mounted are a good reference for both sides. Turn the steppers by hand until both sides are the same.Last, move all parts so that the endstop switches are accessible and not engagedStep 2: Verify thermistor presence and extruder fan.Turn on the printer, the status screen should come up after a couple of seconds. The extruder fan mounted on the side should come up immediatelyThe status screen should show the current temperatures for bot hotend and heatbed. See one of the screenshots i posted earlier. If one of the termistors is defective or disconnected, the display should show "def." for that thermistor.Menu conventions:Middle button: Enter menu from status screenUp/Down: navigate up/down through the menuRight button: Go to sub-menu of options with an arrow at the end, or execute selected actionLeft button: Go back one menu levelAfter a couple of seconds of inaction while in a menu, the menu times out and the printer resturns to the status screen.Play around with it a bit to get comfortable.While in the status screen you can also use Up/Down to cycle through various statistic screens.Step 3: Verify endstopsMenu -> Position -> X Postion. This should show endstop switch status. Manually hold down the switch for a moment to see the the stop worksRepeat forMenu -> Position -> Y PostionMenu -> Position -> Z PostionStep 4: Home AllMenu -> Quick Settings -> Home AllThis will first move the y-axis fully back until endstop, then the x-axis and third the the z-axis. Finally, all three axises are moved a bit back.The printhead will *not* be above the bed, so dont be afraid that the nozzle will hit the bed. That should not happen at this point.I cannot get a proper picture, but you can now visually check if the z endstop is reasonably set. A couple of milimeter can be adjusted with the screws, but when in doubt, change the position of the switch slightly.Make sure the tip of the nozzle is now slightly higher than the bed.I tried taking a picture but was not able to properly capture how it should look.Step 5: Move all axises from the MenuDuring all movements pay attention to the cabling and see if it is snagging somewhere.Menu -> Position -> X Pos. fast: Up moves left, down moves right. Move fully over the axis and see if that works smoothly.Menu -> Position -> Y Pos. fast: Up moves back, down moves forward. Move fully over the axis and see if it works smoothly. Pay attention of possible skipping of the belt, indicating too much tension of the beltMenu -> Position -> X Pos. fast: Up moved up, down moved down. Move fully up to somewhat around 200.00mm and move fully down again, and see if everything runs smoothly.After you have done that, verify if the axis is still level.Step 6: Heater testsMenu -> Quick Settings -> Preheat PLAThis will set target temperture for the hotend to 190c and for the heatbed to 50c and will immediately start heating up.Keep an eye on the displayed temps. Due to the different thermal masses of hotend and heatbed it should be apparent if the two thermistors are mixed up.This is also a good opportunity to do a voltage check to see if the 12v is stable.Let it heat fully up and see if the temperatures are reasonably stable. Since you still have filament stuck in the hotend, this may start oozing out.If you are comfortable with the voltages and stablility, go to Menu -> Quick Settings -> Cooldown. This will disable both heaters. Wait for the hotend to cool down. NOTE: The heatbed will take quite some time to cool down, be aware of thatIf material leaked out of the nozzle, carefully remove that with a flat tool. I use cheap flush side cutters for that.Step 7: Loading filamentMove the z-axis up somewhat, that makes it easier to check on the filament later. Do that via the menu to make sure the z-axis steppers are locked, to keep the axis level.Bend the filament straigt for a couple of centimeters. Make a diagonal cut, so that you have a point end. Hold down the extruder thumbscrew to push down the lever. Use something to cushion your fingerInsert the filament, if you have properly hit the hole, the filament will go in several centimeters. Here is a reference how it should look. Obviously this is not visible with the assembled extruder, but you get the idea. You will get a feeling for this after a couple of loadings.Step 8: Verify extrusionUse "Preheat PLA" again. Sadly there is no preset for just enabling the hotend, but this will not take all that much time anyways.When the Hotend has reached its target temperature, go to Menu -> Extruder -> Extr. position. Up pulls the filament in, down retracts it. Hold up, and also keep a finger on the filament. You should feel it being pulled in. If you hear the stepper skipping, or the filament does not move, you have not hit the hole of the coupler. After a couple of centimeters a string of filament should be extruded. Hold down for some more centimeters and see if the filament is cleanly and smoothly extruded.If you are done, retract the filament until you can pull it out of the extruder. Then go to Menu -> Quicksettings -> Cooldown, or turn off the printer.If that all worked out: Congratulations! You are one major step closer to the first successful print!Bed leveling procedure with three installed screws. (Lower left and right, upper left)There are different opnions on this, but i generally level the bed while the printer is cold. Less chance of burning myself, and it worked out well for me so farIt is important to make sure that the x-axis is level.This assumes that the z-endstop is properly set and the nozzle can freely be moved above the bed after a Home All was executed.A "Feeler Gauge" would be gold standard to properly level, but a sheet of paper will also work.- Make sure there is no filament hanging out of the nozzle- Execute "Home All"- Execute "Disable Steppers"- Manually move x and z axises so the the nozzle is close to the lower left corner and you can access the wingnut- move a piece of paper into the gap between nozzle and bed. Adjust the wingnut so that the paper can *just* be moved freely. If it starts scratching, move the nut a small bit back.Do that for all 3 corners and verify in the fourth corner.Note that leveling with four screws brings the risk of actually bending the bed if the difference between them is big enough.I think this is enough for todayI will prepare stuff about extruder calibration tomorrow if you want, and can also start on a indroduction into the slicer software Cura.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2020, 02:55:33 am
content: Nice procedure, you should create a PDF for others.Three questions:What does PLA stand for since it's heating the 'hotend' and 'hotbed'?You stated selecting 'home all' will not cause the print head to hit the hotbed (or glass if I have it laying on top). The X,Y, and Z, limits are not set internally? I thought once the user moves the head to each X,Y, and Z, point, then that would be entered into the printer? If the limit switch is physically not set correctly, why would the head not smash into the hotbed?Lastly, if the heat sink on the side of the extruder isn't mounted to anything to help dissipate the heat, why not just remove it and blow the fan directly into the extruder cavity?

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2020, 03:36:28 am
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 17, 2020, 02:55:33 amBut.. it is. It's mounted on a piece of aluminium (the extruder assembly), into which the heatbreak is screwed. It's a bad arrangement, but still..

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2020, 05:43:37 am
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 17, 2020, 02:55:33 amof just web links (accessible, savable, googable) for people who only can manage to hang about in forums... from experience, posts can easily forgotten and missed and re-asked for numerous number of times... even in the very same thread...https://airwolf3d.com/comparing-bowden-vs-direct-drive-3d-printer/https://all3dp.com/1/3d-printer-extruder-nozzle-guide/https://lmgtfy.com/?q=3d+printer+extruder+parthttps://lmgtfy.com/?q=introduction+3d+printerhttps://lmgtfy.com/?q=basic+3d+printer

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2020, 01:33:08 am
content: I followed your test procedure and everything checked out, so I went ahead and tried a test print.I got fairly lucky, the old filament melted out of the extruder, and I managed to feed the new filament in one shot.When I did a 'home' position test, I noticed the bed hits the switch and seems to go slightly past the switch and bounces back - I was mainly focused on the Z axis so the extruder didn't hit the bed. Figuring out how much further the head would come down after hitting the switch seemed like trial and error, but I got lucky and adjusted it correctly the first time.The glass is smaller than the bed and I'm wondering if it's the wrong part or it's some random piece that was used. What is the size of the glass?As for printing, I selected the file to print, but the printer didn't do anything (the hotbed and hotend were up to temp). I randomly went through menus and saw turn on something (I forgot what) and the printer immediately began printing. I'll do a Google search, but thought maybe I'd throw the question out there as to how to start printing.Most of the menus were easy to interpret, but a few items were not clear, such as: Mul, buf (I'm assuming a buffer, but that stayed at 0), flow (I assume flow rate of filament).The Z belt is probably loose because it skips going forward, but going back seems relatively smooth. I'm thinking of running threaded rod from the back to the front and tightening the belt. I know brackets exist to keep the pieces from bending, but has anyone tried threaded rod (or maybe eventually I'll mount it to a base and can reinforce the frame that way).The attached is a part I created. It starts off as a rectangular base and this is the first layer. Each line looks like it has space between. I assume this is normal and it gets reinforced as the layers build. The more important part: the side didn't stay attached (I spread apart the rectangular piece to show where it didn't mate).Is this considered normal or have I not adjusted something correctly?

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2020, 08:46:17 am
content: So, all critical parts workPlease state the slicer software and all settings you used. I have only experience in Cura, but many are similar.If this is some already sliced GCODE that was already on the SD Card, please disregard that for now.GCODE is *very* dependend on the printer setup. Even stuff like somewhat different leveling distance can break formerly working code.As far as i know, GCODE is actually related to gerber files for PCB instructions. If you car curious, take any text editor and take a lookThe GCODE file essentially contains a sequential list of commands that the printer executes. The printer is stupid and does exactly whatthe GCODE says. For example it cannot notice if the bed distance is 0.3 milimeters, while the GCODE is expecting 0.1 milimeters distance on the first layer.Your result looks somewhat like too much distance of the nozzle to the bed for the fist layer.Think about the nozzle size, which is 0.4mm. The distance between nozzle and bed should be around 0.2mm. The filament will be forced out of the nozzle and squeeze out to the sides. The GCODE is build to expect that squeezing and therefore prints the filament strings further apart. In your example that did not properly work, likely because your nozzle to bed distance was too high.Getting this right is not easy. Too high a distance and the print will not stick, or even completly detatches, like yours. Too close, and you get what is called an "elefants foot", where the first layer is wider than the following, or you might even be so close that you cannot extrude anymore. if in doubt, be a bit closer, an elefants foot can be filed away after printingRegarding the glass plate: Mine was custom cut to the exact size of the heatbed. This is not a stock part anyway, so yes, it could just be a random piece of glass. If you are able to properly fix it in place it should work anyway.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 01:09:46 pm
content: I'm using Slic3r because Cura doesn't work with XP.Just to reiterate, that was a perfectly rectangular shaped piece, I pulled on the side to see how strong the first layer is. My assumption is that you can't tell much by the first layer, however, before I waste time/filament printing, I wanted to get an opinion on the quality.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 02:26:42 pm
content: I've been searching for an answer to this question, and can't seem to find anything.Upon powering my printer, I select 'Preheat PLA' and that turns on the heaters for the hotbed and extruder. After, I select a file to print, and nothing happens until (I think) I select 'Preheat ABS'.It seems PLA doesn't mean hotplate and/or extruder, so I'm uncertain what it means, however, what is ABS since apparently I need to turn that on too in order to start printing?

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 04:50:47 pm
content: The thing is Preheating is, well, pre-heating.Preheat PLA, with my firmware, sets the target temp for the hotend to 190c and for the heatbed to 50cABS needs significantly higher temperatures, and therefore the preheating presets are a lot higher: 240c for the hotend, and 110c for the heatbed.I would not even be sure that the stock power supply and cabling can even do that.The actual printing temperatures are set in the slicer, and printing will only start once those are reached. In my case i like to print at 200/60, so even after a full preheat it will take a while to actually start printing. You shout see the new target temperatures after you have issued the print command.I think it's coincidence that the print starts after Preheat ABS, as far as i know, once printing has started, most settings you do at the controlpanel are overridden.I have no experience with Slic3r, can you provide your settings, or make screenshots of them?Also, please check a printer calibration setting: Go to Configuration -> Extruder and check what is set for Steps/MM. By default this value is often slighly to high, causing too much filament to be extruded. This in turn results in holes being too small for screws for example.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2020, 12:49:16 am
content: QuoteIf I understand this correctly, 'preheat PLA' and 'preheat ABS' do the same thing but set different temperatures? If this is true, then I don't need to turn on both, just one, however, the gcode overrides this regardless.Maybe the temperature settings were too high and the gcode told the printer to run cooler, so it took a while before the printer started?Today I tried printing the same part. I lowered the extruder to 200 and the hotbed to either 50 or 75, but, if the gcode overroad those settings, then it ran at a different temperature. It began printing okay, however, after about four-layers, the rectangle (about 1.5" x 5") began bowing and eventually slide a bit on the glass. At this point, I stopped printing for obvious reasons.Attached is all the settings for the slicing software. Let me know what you think.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2020, 11:27:06 am
content: Ok, i scrolled trough those settings. My, that XP GUI brings back memoriesMost settings look straight forward, but i would suggest two, or maybe three changes.First, reduce the "Speed for print moves". Halve it for Perimeters and Infill, the other values are percentages i think. The A8 is not a stable printer, and without a reinforced frame those speeds are too high. I wonder what the accelleration defaults are. In Cura, the default value was 1000mm/m2, and halving that greatly improved printquality without much impact on printing time. For now, leave them as they are.Second, the temperatures. I would suggest keeping the Extruder at a constant temp of 200c. That is a generally acceptable value for many PLA filaments.The Bed Temp is way too high though. Reduce that to 60c. This also explains why the printer will not immediately print after preheating. It takes quite some time to get the bed up to 105c.Related: Have you measured your voltages while the heaters are active?Third: If you have adhesion problems, i would suggest that you switch from Skirt to Brim. The Brim is attached to the object and helps stickyness.Also, please check your leveling, or rather, the distance of the nozzle to the heatbed. The initial lines of the first layer should touch. With good leveling with a feeler gauge at 0.1mm with a first layer height of 0.2mm in the slicer, i get almost a mirror finish of the first layer. A sheet of paper, or if you have it, some old receipt paper will do an adequate job for the distance.Lastly: I finally am working more again. So i might not have as much time to answer anymore, or my replies may take a while longer.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2020, 01:49:03 pm
content: Thanks, I'll make those changes.Currently the printer needs a few tweaks that I've held off on. The Y belt is too loose and causes the bed to jerk when going forward. I'm reluctant to tighten the belt because upon getting it, one of the rod covers was cracked due to the rod pushing through. I realized the rear frame (where the Y motor is) was bent indicating the belt was too tight. In order to fix this, I've given consideration to drilling holes and running a third threaded rod down to keep the frame tight. i.e. reinforcing the frameI plan to print a belt wheel which goes over the bearings - that should make it glide smoother. Also, I plan to put grease on all the rods so everything moves smoother on all three axis.The firmware still needs to be updated.The bed still has two holes that are threaded. Initially I was reluctant to drill because there is no going back, however, now that I understand things better, I feel safe to drill the threads.The nozzle I think is stock, so that's 0.2mm?Once I do all the above, I'll level the bed better (although I go it quite level before).One last thing I plan to incorporate is a circuit to monitor both temperatures and kill power if they increase.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2020, 02:01:21 pm
content: Do you plan to mount the printer on some plywood for example? I would heavyly recommend you to do that, or to mount it to another rigid base.That way, you can just screw down some wooden blocks sandwiching the acrylic at some key points, at the front and back, where the belt tension would pull the frame together. You can also use them to hold in the rods.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2020, 02:13:06 pm
content: I have a large sheet of thick plexiglass I'm thinking of using.I saw printed threaded rod mounts that screw into a base, but at the moment, it doesn't make much sense to print something on an unstable printer.The printer doesn't offer many mounting areas that doesn't put pressure on a crucial point. This has kept me thinking of the best and time efficient way of mounting it.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 02:14:39 am
content: QuoteI accidentally forgot to answer your question. I measured the voltage coming out of the PS and it was a bit over 12V.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 09:12:08 am
content: Hey, that the voltage is actually stable is a good sign. Maybe your supply was already replaced, or mine was a "Monday-Model"I suppose an acrylic sheet can work as base, provided that it is stiff enough. I was able to cheaply get a fitting piece of 18mm pressure threated plywood. I had even some left over to build half a frame to cover the powersupply and have a mountingpoint for the filament spool. That thing is heavy, but the printer is not going anywhereBrackets on the threaded rods seem to be the best way to mount the printer. Laterally, these would be held in place by the nuts. Reinforce the front and back acrylic, and nothing should be able to move too much anymore. I don't see other options without modifying the frame.But no matter how it is mounted, the acrylic frame will always be wobbly. That's why the speed has to be lowered, and you will likely still see ghosting.Regarding your first layer...Can you provide a picture of the underside of the object?If the leveling distance is properly set, I can imagine another issue.The default nozzle size is 0.4mm. Your settings example showed a first layer height of 0.35. Lets say the nozzle <-> bed distance is 0.1.Then, for the first layer, the nozzle distance will be 0.45. You are then almost printing in the air. This would be visible on the underside, showing almost no flattening of the individual extruded strandsTherefore I would recommend reducing the layer heights to 0.2/0.25. If you generally want to print with larger layer heights, you should replace the nozzle. But I would say that should be only considered after a first successful print.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 11:51:27 am
content: QuoteI thought the 0.4mm nozzle size is the diameter of the hole?Obviously I'm missing something because the 0.35mm height wouldn't have anything to do with the 0.4mm diameter.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 01:24:09 pm
content: 0.4mm is the diameter of the hole on the tip of the nozzle. If the filament can flow out freely, that will then also be the diameter of the extruded material. As far as I know, there will be no noticeable expansion after the nozzle.The 0.35mm is the first layer height from your slicer settings. Add to that the existing distance in homed position and you have more distance than filament diameter. Some slicers take the distance after leveling into account, but I do not know how slic3r does that. Gravity does of course pull the extruded material down to the bed, but it will not really stick.With my prints - nozzle 0.4, bed leveled to 0.1 with a feeler gauge and 0.15 first layer height - I see that the filament is squeezed onto the bed expanding to the sides. This results in an almost continuously fully flat underside of the printed object.I will see if I can provide some pictures of some first layer prints. But that will take some time.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 03:51:39 pm
content: I have attached two pictures for now. I have kept them on original resolution.Picture one is the 0.1mm leaf of my feeler gauge between the nozzle and the bed. The mirroring makes it a bit difficult to see, but there is not much room.The second shows the underside of an object i printed. See the reflection of the ringlight. The finish is almost completely flat, except in some sharp corners. You can still see and feel the lines were the filament strands meet.Sadly i cannot make more pictures for now. I have just noticed that i messed up the bowden upgrade, and my hotend is leaking...EDIT: Damn, the PLA got everywhere. I had to heat the hotend to get it apart, and now all threads are coated with it...

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2020, 03:53:52 am
content: QuoteThe part that is confusing me: the nozzle size (diameter) can be anything, why would the diameter matter how far away it is from the bed? I understand that too far and I'm printing in air, but, regardless of nozzle diameter, the only adjustments would be the bed height.Today I adjusted the bed height and tried printing the Y belt wheel that goes over the bearings and the bracket that would hold the threaded rod onto a platform. I only got the first layer on the bracket as I didn't have time to wait for it to print - see pics below. I'm uncertain if I can print the bearing wheel because I'm assuming I may need a smaller nozzle so less comes out.Just to clarify things: the Y belt is loose at the moment, I'm waiting to mount the printer so I can tighten the belt without bending the supporting bracket. I still need to lubricate the rods so everything slides easier. I think that's about it other than updating the firmware, building a backup circuit that will monitor (and disable) the heaters should the thermistors fail, and incorporating some printed part updates.As for the parts (bearing wheel, brackets, bowden update, etc...), does anyone sell these? All I seem to find are the files, and, if I can't improve the printing functions of the printer, it's kind of hard to print parts to add onto the printer so it prints better.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2020, 08:41:34 am
content: That does not look to bad. From what I can see it looks like the top area of your object had a little more distance to the bed than the other side, but that should be enough.Please correct me if I am wrong about orientation (I am still new to defect troubleshooting). I think you printed that rectangular object so that the long side was the x-axis (left <-> right), and the short side the y-axis (front <-> back)?Printing a round object is more demanding on the mechanics on the printer. The wobbly outline is likely caused by the skipping belt.To be honest, I would just try to print a bracket. Tension the belt until it does not skip and ignore the warping for now. Provided that the bed can still move freely, this should not impact relevant print properties for the bracket. Just print in an orientation that the hole is in parallel to the belt so that the hole is not affected should the belt still skip. Sadly I still have not found the .stl files again for the brackets I used. Those worked right out of the uncalibrated printer...Or you could also make the bracket out of wood. Small scrap pieces would already be enough. If nothing else, there are a lot of 3D printing services that print objects on demand. But those tend to be somewhat pricy or slow.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2020, 12:34:44 pm
content: QuoteThat is correct.As for the wheel, I assumed it was a matter of belt tension, but also wondered if that needed a smaller nozzle since the part is small. For now knowing my printed part "isn't too bad" is comforting.I thought of wood and may try that, however, now that I'm on track to decent prints, maybe I'll try some temporary clamps with a tighter belt.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 12:11:15 am
content: I acquired a final batch of printer parts.From my understanding, an auto bed leveler was purchased, but all I see is a proximity switch. Is that the entire bed leveler or do more pieces exist?Also, I have what I believe to be a Bowden (sp???) extruder upgrade. Unfortunately the only piece of hardware I seem to be missing is one wing nut for the bed. To make my life easier, does anyone know the screw size so I can find a matching nut?Attached is a picture of printed pieces and I'm uncertain what they are. I assume they are printer upgrades, but I don't know for sure or what they are.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 07:49:11 am
content: Some parts I recognize, other I can speculation on, the others I have no ideaSo, from the top left:1. Part of a Bowden upgrade; Holder for a V6 Hotend. This goes where the metal bracket holding the stock Extruder/Hotend assembly is.2. Part of a Bowden upgrade; same part as above, but worse print.3. Part of a Bowden upgrade; Extruder bracket. This is to mount the extruder to the top frame, directly above the right side z-axis rods4. Part of y-axis tensioner. These two parts go at the front. The screw holding the bearing goes through the hole at the tip5. unknown parts. The ribbing makes me think about the belt, but the edges doen't make sense in that context6. Unknown part. No idea, but not everything is visibleSecond row:7. something belt related I would think, but I don't recognize this part8.The same, but smaller I think? The size is difficult to gauge in that picture9. Part of Bowden upgrade: The counterpart part 1 in the top row, holding the hotend in place and providing a mount point for the print cooler10. Part of Bowden upgrade: The belt holder for the first part in the top row. Goes on the back of part 111. unknown: Makes me think of either a fan mount, or that part is mounted to a stepper.The V6 Hotend is something similar to this:https://www.amazon.de/J-Kopf-Extruder-Drucker-Makerbot-Messing/dp/B07MH5KYW9/ref=psdc_8623223031_t4_B078SLDBY3The round aluminium part with the heatsink fins is held in place with the brackets. The extruder motor is moved to the top of the frame, and the two are connected with the white PTFE tube.Given that you have these printed parts, I would not be surprised if you have the V6 (or similar) hotend as well.I have also heard about the auto leveling upgrade with the distance sensor, but have not done that myself.I can provide a few pictures of my bowden upgrade this afternoon, but there is still something wrong with my printer as well.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 12:38:04 pm
content: I have the Bowden assembly too - or at least believe it's the entire assembly.As for the Bowden printed parts, do these parts exist in metal or anything stronger? I feel using printed parts next to the extruder will cause warping or melting over time.Does the Bowden upgrade make a big difference?

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 01:50:33 pm
content: The bowden upgrade can improve print quality. With the upgrade, the x-axis assembly becomes significantly lighter, which decreases the wobble of the frame on fast movement.Also, surprisingly (to me at least), that small shitty looking fan is *significantly* less loud than the stock cooling fan.I also makes filament loading easier since the extruder is open, and theoretically the filament can also just stay loaded.On the other hand, with the extruder at the top, the PTFE tube is running in front of the diplay, which can be annoying at times.I was, and honestly still am, somewhat sceptical about the long-term stability of the plastics. For that reason, i have printed all parts in duplicateI also have all the original parts lying in a box, so if everything fails i can build up the stock extruder again.I have faced a couple of issues with the bowden upgrade:On the first build, the hotend was not screwed together tightly enough. That resulted in the hotend leaking hot plastic, which turns out to be an excellent loc-tite when the hotend has cooled down :p Everything was salvagable so far, except that i still have to clean the thread of the nozzle. The replacement nozzle i had on hand has a shorter thread, throwing my calibration out of whack, and also reducing the distance of the hotend to the plastic parts. That gap that is visible in the Amazon picture, between the heater and the cooling element is with my assembly completly gone.The stock extruder/hotend assembly on the other hand is surprisingly well thought out. It screws together tighly, and then also has the cable facing correctly out to the side. I never had issues with that.Another issue that came up just now, preparing a demo-print for pictures: With the bowden upgrade, i need to rethink my filament holder. Just now the filament slipped of the spool. And it also appears that even if it does not slip, the current angle is too tight, and not enough filament can be pulled in. That should easily be visible on the picture i will provide.Also, this is unrelated to the bowden upgrade: I have talked above a couple of times about using a feeler gauge to level. It turns out that this is not turning out too well. Using the 0.1mm blade of the gauge to level the bed gives me actually a similar issue like on your pictures: Too much of a distance between the individual strands. I will provide example pictures soonI do not have as much free time at the moment, so i can't fiddle around with the printer as much. I will post pictures soon.TL;DR: On a basis of a working printer, a bowden upgrade can be worth it.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 02:41:29 pm
content: I'm a bit torn on these upgrades.I like the idea of making the head lighter, but rather have metal parts that wouldn't warp. Also, I've had this printer for a month and haven't done anything with it because all I keep doing is fixing issues or realizing a fixed issue also has an upgrade that requires additional time.I still need to upgrade the firmware and the last video I watched suggested installing a boot loader which requires a piece of software (VS I think) that needs Win7 or better.Currently I've been the process of picking out parts for a new PC because I run XP - but Win10 on my work laptop which is what I use often - but I don't have access to installing software such as stuff to upgrade the printer firmware.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 02:47:38 pm
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 27, 2020, 02:41:29 pmQuote from: Monkeh on July 09, 2020, 12:52:40 amI'm not going to say it.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 03:07:40 pm
content: I think it's a solid printer to be honest.What is the cost of a "better" printer, $1k? I'm not going to print $1k worth of stuff on it in probably five-years if that. I think it's cool to own one, but even at the original cost of the A8 being $300 (?), it wasn't worth owning. The advantage is that I can (eventually) design parts and print them without sending the file to a company, pay the money, and discover the part doesn't fit, thus wasting money.My only grip is that the printer is "unstable" and in order to stabilize it, it needs to run slower to print parts to make it safer and more stable. But I'm spending more time and money for filament trying to print parts that aren't coming out well because I need to print parts to make it print better quality parts. hahahha it just seems I'm in a vicious circle. I'll say this much, with the help of many, I've certainly become more acquainted with this printer and made it stronger.Personally I'd rather just buy a Bowden metal bracket upgrade kit, some brackets to mount it to a surface, and call it a day. Unfortunately I haven't seen any metal brackets, just files to print the brackets (which apparently I already have).A new printer will still have a hotbed and hot extruder making it unsafe to run for long periods of time while unsupervised. Unless of course something that would take a day to print on the A8 can be done in an hour or so on a better printer.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 03:26:34 pm
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 27, 2020, 03:07:40 pmYou haven't been able to get it to make anything useful so far - so what do you base it being 'solid' on? It barely works, you spend all your time trying to remediate its multitudinal flaws..I'm not their biggest fan (by a long shot), but this is a vastly superior machine:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BR3F9N6I've owned an A8. I feel qualified in saying it's a hopeless turd in 2020 (not that it wasn't whenever it came out).

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 03:36:21 pm
content: The link doesn't work.I consider it a solid machine based off the potential I see. I should have rephrased that statement earlier. The parts printed on it was with loose hardware, original extruder, and not mounted to anything. If it printed parts that well before, I think with a few modifications, it will be solid.The unfortunate part is that not all parts are available to purchase in metal. While having the stl parts available it great (and appreciated), I wouldn't mind spending a few bucks just to get the printer upgrades completed in a day or two rather than over the course of weeks.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 03:51:27 pm
content: Link fixed.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2020, 04:19:48 pm
content: Well, it is definelty true that decent 3D printers are relatively cheap nowadays. Even back in 2018 when i bought my A8 this was already developing.I can only give my personal reasons for getting the A8 kit: I wanted something to build. Plain and Simple. The less stuff that is pre-assembled, the betterA couple of years back, Conrad Electronics had a 3D printer kit. For a whopping 1900 Euro as a kit, or 2300 Euro assembled. I was soooo close to getting that thing back then, but i could not reasonably spend so much money on what is (for me) essentially a toy.For the longest time, i forgot about 3D printers.Then, in 2018, the german computer magazinewww.heise.de, who are also publisher for MAKE: in germany, wrote an article series about the A8. That was, even with a couple of store bought upgrades (rods, powersupply, bowden kit, MDF Board) a reasonable price for what i wanted it to do.I got it to print, had to stow it though, and it stood on the back of the shelf until that CoVID crap startedI have it now in a resonable shape, but to be honest, since building and tweaking stuff is what i prefer, it is now mostly standing around again, waiting for a project. Likely, if not for this thread, i would already have stowed it again

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2020, 02:47:33 am
content: I guess my initial gripe (if you'd call it that) is the unknown of when is the end of the upgrades so I can begin using the printer.Obviously this has nothing to do with the upgrades as they are all valuable, and, in some cases, for safety issues.For now, I'm going to hold off with the Bowden upgrade. The printer works just fine except the Y belt is lose and will be fixed once I fix the printer to a base (I can go tighter, but holding off so I can eliminate any possibility of bending the bracket).Some upgrade questions: why is the power supply considered underrated? One annoying issue I've seen: the plug sparks whenever it's plugged in for the first time indicating lots of capacitance with no slow turn on circuitry. In any case, someone said the power supply can't handle bringing the hotplate up to 200C, but the hotplate is the same resistance regardless if it's 60C or trying to climb to 200C. From my measurements (and going by memory), the bed draws around 10A, the extruder 2A, with a total power draw (while a motor or two was turning) about 13A (and I think it was less than this). This means the printer is only using 60% of it's total capability.As for updating the firmware, initially I was under the impression the firmware was owned by Anet. When I began reading that updates exist from everyday users (?) I got concerned that anyone can tinker with the code and make it a ticking time bomb. From my understanding, the firmware is open source, but (maybe this is the incorrect term, but I'll use it) in a vault maintained by the community; or at least verified by the community.With this being said, I watched a few videos the other night and carefully took down notes until the end, where the video stated a new version existed. I began watching that video and it stated to use a booloader.Do several versions of the firmware exist, or is Marlin version X the only one? Which version is the current, and do I need to install a bootloader?Since memory size seems to be an issue, I imagine saving space by not installing a bootloader is a better approach, but I don't necessarily know what a bootloader does; nor what install options exist.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2020, 08:14:30 pm
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 29, 2020, 02:47:33 amNot only can that bed not reach 200C, but you would never want to. And no, it's absolutely not the same resistance, look up the tempco of copper.The power supply is of inadequatequalityat first glance. I never did manage to kill it, though.QuoteThe original firmware is simply a copy of Marlin from who knows how long ago. Any modifications are unreleased, the original config is unreleased, and they don't give a hoot about GPL obligations (or not burning your house down). As for any modified versions released randomly on the internet, that's at your own risk. You can quite easily obtain a copy of Marlin (of an equally ancient version or current or anywhere in between) yourself and configure it.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2020, 01:04:02 am
content: QuoteI accidentally got mine up to 193 or 194.In any case, I now understand temperature measurements a bit better. Not necessarily on a per part basis, but know 200 is too hot.Now it's more a question about firmware as I stated in my previous post (see above). Is a bootloader required, and what is the common version of Marlin most use so I know that's a version that can be trusted?

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2020, 01:42:37 am
content: Quote from: bostonman on July 30, 2020, 01:04:02 amAnd how long did that take on a completely stationary bed? The firmware shouldn't have even let you try that..Heating time on mine to 100C, with the power boosted well beyond normal, was 10min or more, which is insane, and it barely held it once moving.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2020, 01:56:30 am
content: I selected pre heat PLA and didn't realize the default (?) was set to 200.It took quite a while before I realized (and referenced this thread) that 200 was just crazy.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2020, 01:57:04 am
content: .. no, 200 would be the nozzle temperature, not the bed.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2020, 02:00:41 am
content: Wait a second.... hmmmm maybe I'm thinking it was a 100 for the bed and I'm confusing it with the 200 for the extruder

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 03:11:55 am
content: Before I spend time updating to Marlin 2.0 and installing a bootloader, I was wondering if the new version board (1.7?) is worth the investment?I watched the Marlin firmware update video and saw an issue can arise with memory size, so I'm curious whether the new boards have more memory.

author: towe96
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 08:24:52 am
content: A more contemporary printer would be Creality's Ender 3 series or the BIQU B1. How much did you pay for it, if I might ask?You can use aftermarket boards on almost all printers. The SKR Mini E3 v2.0 would be a good choice - supported by Marlin 2.0, and it has much quieter stepper drivers than the original board.To update your existing board, you might have to install a bootloader (ISP programmer or and Arduino Uno), or "simply" change the upload baud rate to 57600 if it uses the old bootloader.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 12:15:20 pm
content: I got the printer free, but it has more sentimental value, so I'd rather keep this one and get the printer firmware updated for the safety factors.I don't know if it has a bootloader, or which version firmware is on it. From the video, to install a bootloader, I need a programmer or something like that. If I'm going to pay for a programmer, I thought maybe buying a new modern board is more ideal since it probably already has a bootloader.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 12:56:35 pm
content: Quote from: bostonman on August 07, 2020, 12:15:20 pmfrom screen capture you made earlier its clearly running marlin FW. why dont you try the arduino IDE path through USB first? why start with fancy bootloader (that every arduino should alredy have) and dedicated programmer HW? you seems certain about something yet not very clear to us. after these months, have you reverse engineered which mcu (what mcu is it? avr?) pin controlling which motor/heater/sensor?

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 12:59:56 pm
content: If you're going to replace the board, there's no point buying another crap one from Anet. It won't have any more flash space, and I sincerely doubt it's all that much of an improvement in any other area.Quote from: Mechatrommer on August 07, 2020, 12:56:35 pmThese boards don't usually ship with a bootloader, because they're not Arduinos and Anet never had any intention of releasing firmware updates.Quote from: Mechatrommer on August 07, 2020, 12:56:35 pmWhy would he need to? In the spirit of cheap and lazy production it's a near 100% electrical clone of an old Melzi board, warts and all, and everything about it is documented already.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 01:03:06 pm
content: if changing the board is inevitable, then maybe RAMPS pcb kit/module + arduino mega is much more sensible. all the mechanics are already there. easy, cheap and well known/documented.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 01:04:46 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on August 07, 2020, 01:03:06 pmReally not. RAMPS is just as bad - cheap boards, bad layout, no heatsinking..

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 01:08:30 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on August 07, 2020, 01:04:46 pmmosfets are working as hard switches (not linear mode), barely need a heatsink. my Melzi board doesnt have any except for stepper drivers. Melzi also is not an arduino board, but compatible and works with arduino IDE without a programmer. trying this path on that anet board should not hurt, at worst is rejected arduino IDE request to upload FW. i worked with RAMPS board on my Bethan machine, and now 2 RAMPS for my CNC and a giant printer (i call it Cartesan). Marlin 2.0 are ready configured and installed in both boards.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 01:30:13 pm
content: QuoteWhich screen captures? The ones from the slicing software?I assumed Marlin was the base for the printer in general and selected that from the slicing software setup menu. Otherwise, I don't have a clue as to what is on the printer, whether it has a booloader, etc...I've really owned this printer for a month or so, and began with the mechanics (with much support from here). As for the firmware, I don't know anything about Audrino and all the other associated stuff. Also, I don't know anything about programming firmware and stuff. The basics I know such as taking a file and hitting upload, however, I don't know all the details of setting up firmware to be installed.The videos I've found are a great help, but, as I said, am I wasting time on a board that I should upgrade with more memory.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2020, 09:15:31 pm
content: The only screencaptures shown in this thread were mineAnd all of them were with the stock A8 firmware, which is indeed as far as i know a Marlin version. At least the slicer tells me so...Anyway...I finally got around to updating the firmware of my board. And boy, this was surprisingly difficult. More on that laterI will lay out my steps here.I have not yet printed with this firmware! I have just installed it and my printer still boots1. Download and install the latest Arduino IDE. I have used the latest official one. I do *not* know which one will still work with XP, or if that will work the same2. Download the USB to Serial Driver for the CH340:http://www.wch.cn/download/CH341SER_ZIP.htmlThat should still work with XP3. Download the Firmware here:https://marlinfw.org/meta/download/.Version 2 will not work as far as i know (but i haven't tried it)4. Power on the Printer and connect the USB Port to the PC. Go to device manager and install the CH340 driver if not present, and note the COM Port of the Printer5. Unzip the Firmwarefile. Then go to \Marlin\example_configurations\Anet\A8 and copy both files in that folder to \Marlin. Overwrite the existing files.6. Open the \Marlin\Marlin.ino file7. In the Arduino IDE go to File -> Preferences and add the following URL to "Additional Board Manager URLs":https://github.com/benlye/anet-board/raw/master/package_anet_board_index.jsonMultiple URLs can be in there, comma separated8. Go to Tools -> Board -> Board Manager. Search for anet. One result should be shown, install that9. Go to Tools -> Board -> Anet Boards -> Select Anet V1.010. Go to Tools -> Port -> Select the COM Port of the PrinterNow this is the step that is required in the current Arduino IDE Version, likely from 1.8.x11. Go to Tools -> Board -> Boards Manager. The first default entry should be "Arduino AVR Boards". You need to select a specific older version here, namely 1.6.23Without this step i get compile errors. That took me some time to track down. Most people just said "disable the end stops, dummy"12. Go to Sketch -> Verify/Compile. This should not produce any errors, and should say something around 83% space used.This step does the actual install13. Go to Sketch -> Upload. This will take some time. I did not get a finished notification, but after a couple of minutes (and the loading bar was full) i noticed that the printer display changed.I have not had any time yet to test, and as hot as it is here currently i am not really in the mood to try. But i was able to navigate through the firmware without issues. The behaviour has significantly changed, but everything seems to be there after a cursory glance. This will take some time to get used toEDIT: I mainly did this to see if there would be any real reason to actually change the board. It seems that is not the caseThere are even ways to optimise further by loading a different bootloader, but as far as i could see that cannot be done over USB.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2020, 05:15:53 am
content: Quote from: Ranayna on August 08, 2020, 09:15:31 pmright! my mistake. i should have not make another replyi was refering toReply #33without looking closely who's posting.but refering toReply #18the anet board looks like a arduino compatible, maybe CH341 usb chip there and some unknown AVR chip. anyway, too less input to make any usefull help on Marlin configuration. or even the working condition of the printer. OP only posted some mutilated printouts which i suspect wrong setting in slicer or unlevelled bed or not homed Z=0 properly...this picture fromReply #68also shows some loosening problem in mechanical bearing or else that need fixing but which one precisely is unknown since OP didnt provide anymore details. but since the printer is printing out, i suspect no problem with FW...

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2020, 02:26:13 pm
content: I'm getting frustrated with my printer.I just cannot get my bed properly leveled anymore. I suspect this may be related to the different nozzle. This has a significantly steeper angle that the original and that makes it difficult to remove any remaining material from it's tip. At least the way i did this with flush sidecutters does not work well anymore.And remaining crud on the cold nozzle makes leveling impossible...Anyway, some first impressions of the Marlin Firmware:The very first thing i noticed is that i now need a different button to confirmOn stock, it was the right button to confirm, now it's the center button. Hitting the wriong button boots me back to the main menu...Also, the firmware causes massive button bounce. I assume the stock firmware did debouncing in software, which Marlin does not? At least i have never noticed bouncing buttons with the stock firmware.Positives:A lot less cluttered.Status screen shows positions of all axisesPreheat values can be configuredPreheat can be done separately for bed and hotendNo more wild spinning of the print-cooler when navigating files on the SD cardPrinter really stops right away when stopping a printNeutral:Moving commands are less intuitive. That annoys me a bit for the extruder.My own mistake: The axises home using the endstops, but apparently coordinates are offset. I knocked of my clips again :pI think i need to re-calibrate my extruder, but don't know yet how.Negative (or i am blind)I cannot see the status of the endstopsI have not yet completed a print and am currently considering to fully undo the bowden upgrade. That did not much good for my printer

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2020, 02:38:08 pm
content: Quote from: Ranayna on August 09, 2020, 02:26:13 pmgetting bed levelled is actually try to get it parallel with XY gantries, not anything with nozzle. i'm not sure whats going on.Quote from: Ranayna on August 09, 2020, 02:26:13 pmyou can search text for "debounce" or "bounce" in the FW directory using Windows Explorer to find setting for debouncing. you can run through Configuration.h to see which configuration is used that lead to the wrong button menu and change appropriately. but you need to work it slowly, it needs time and concentration. i'll add a comment with my name on the code that i modified so later i can find them quickly. we only need modify a tiny portion in the FW code to make it work correctly but finding it needs work or running through all of them slowly one by one. google may help as well to find which files that are relevant, not all need editing. ymmv.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2020, 12:52:27 pm
content: QuoteSuddenly I'm having the same issue. My first goal is to print the rear bracket (I already had the front printed from the original owner) so I can mount it. At least at that point I can move the printer without warping the frame. Eventually I need to put this printer aside for a bit to finish other ongoing projects, but no sense trying to move it without being mounted properly.As for the leveling, I just can't get it leveled. I drilled the holes so now the wingnuts do the adjusting rather than half needing to be turned with a screwdriver as before. Anyway, I start on the front left corner and get the height perfect, then the rear left corner, rear right, front right. I return to the front left corner and it's too close, so I tighten it further, that throws off everything and I keep going around and around.I then looked at it from a 2D plan and realized the better way may be front left corner and rear right corner since no center support exists, that would isolate those two points and then it's a matter of the opposite corners, however, adjusting the front corner affects the other front corner (or rear corners if adjusting the rears).I spent probably two-hours going around and around with no luck.Presently it's level enough that it will print the rear support bracket. I'm guessing that bed leveling isn't as crucial with larger size objects.I'm considering just printing the rear bracket and upgrading to the auto level sensor (the stubborn side of me wants to get the bed leveling correct without the upgrade), but I'm fearing it may add too much weight to the print head forcing me to do a Bowden upgrade. While I'm not against these upgrades, I'm not keen on using printed parts that can warp over time due to the surrounding heat. I'd rather find metal parts that someone made specifically for such upgrades.I began printing the rear bracket the other day thinking it was a few hours, but after four-hours I had to leave and didn't want to keep the printer on while unattended, so I stopped the print thus wasting the filament. I'm estimating it takes about five to six hours, so I'm trying to figure out when I'll be around for that amount of time; and not during a time when we are expecting bad weather that may knock out power.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2020, 02:48:59 pm
content: Yesterday I printed the rear bracket and it took just shy of eight-hours.Although the bed still isn't perfectly leveled (a corner is off, but adjusting it will mess up the other three), it printed fine with a few minor issues on the first layer. One issue was making the tiny circle for the hole, it got swirled around, so I removed the lump. Other than the circle, the first layer seemed fine.The file I printed is in the attached. My question is: is eight-hours the correct time for this part, or should I set things differently in the slicer program for future printing? Also, as I've read, the Bowden upgrade allows the head to become lighter, thus allowing for faster printing. Assuming eight-hours is acceptable, how much faster would it print with the Bowden upgrade?

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2020, 03:05:46 am
content: What happened, my message thread went silent?

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 02:04:23 pm
content: I had to shelf my printer for the time being, and I have not noticed your reply.I will check your file this evening and will "give it a slice" () with my Cura settings. (0.1 or 0.2 layer height, 3 wall count, 4 bottom and top layer count and 20% infill)The most important factors in printing time are: layer height, wall count, bottom and top layer count and finally infill amount. The actual speed and acceleration settings only make a minor difference.Would you mind posting the values you have used for these settings?Also I found that I need to add about 10% to 15% additional time to the value that Cura predicts. I have no idea what causes that, but that seems to be a known issue. But that was with stock firmware, I have not done long prints with Marlin yet.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 02:25:37 pm
content: I don't know anything about print settings; this is something I need to learn more about. Weeks ago I posted screen shots of all the settings, however, tonight I'll post them again just in case anything changed.I really need to get a new PC so I can run the latest and greatest. Currently with the many projects I have going on, I've been reluctant to start a new project (building a PC). Although, I have a tiny Toshiba Win7 laptop (). This thing is a mini laptop I guess you'd call it. The main issue: it's slow for some reason even after dumping extra RAM. Due to this issue, I always forget about it because it sits on my shelf, however, I may be able to use it for updating to Marlin.Currently I can at least mount the printer to a base which will allow me to move it. This way I can set it aside to clear other projects off my plate. But without upgrading to Marlin, not having Cuda, etc... I'm working around obstacles which isn't a very efficient way; especially when I'm seeking guidance on stuff.I need to buy hardware to mount it to a base, but once mounted, I'll feel better about the strength of the frame. This past weekend I spent time aligning the Y axis threaded rod. After I decided to disassemble the Z axis stuff and saw the threaded rod didn't have a shoulder for the set screw. Not that it will slip, but figured I'd grind a flat spot for more stability. After reassembling the Z axis stuff, it seemed smoother and more aligned. Now I just need to match the height of both the left and right before trying to level the bed.With a more stable frame, I can also print a bracket for the auto leveler. I'm guessing this will remove the painstaking time it takes to level the bed as I've spent easily two to three hours and still can't get it level. Obviously I need Marlin for the auto leveler, but I may be able to work around it with the tiny Win7 computer I have as listed above.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 08:06:40 pm
content: Quote from: bostonman on August 31, 2020, 03:05:46 amlack of clear description and pictures, so its quite difficult to make "spot on" suggestion.Quote from: bostonman on August 23, 2020, 02:48:59 pmdont do that. with bowden head, it can introduce more oozing problem. refine what you currently have, increase head travel time in slicer setting etc. 8 hours printing is normal for moderate size object. small size can easily take 2-4 hours. bigger object 12+ hours.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 08:13:08 pm
content: Ok, that is a relatively large part, i was not aware of that.There, a printing time of around 8 hours is not that much of a surprise. If i slice with your previously posted settings: 0.3 layer height, 3 wall thickness (vertical shells), 3 bottom and top layer (horizontal shells) and 20% infill, i get a predicted printing time of 5:33. I would think i need around 6 hours of actual printing time. And that is with even lower speed (50mm/s) as in your screenshot.I do not know why yours is so much slower. Maybe there are some additional settings in slic3r that affect the speed.I agree with Mechatrommer about the bowden upgrade. I will undo mine when i need to print next. It just gave me trouble. But i had to learn that myself :p

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 08:13:52 pm
content: Quote from: bostonman on September 01, 2020, 02:25:37 pmi dont use FW bed leveller. i just use manual adjusment by tweaking those butterfly wing nuts and spring on each bed corners. once done, its good for many prints as long as the printer is not moved. see video below, but since we dont have a clue how your bed can be levellled (lack of pictures) so it may not suit your case.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 08:16:56 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on September 01, 2020, 08:13:52 pmExcept we do, because it's an A8. There is nothing mystical about these machines - except why people buy them.The reason it refuses to stay level is because the frame is like a wet noodle, and even a probe to auto level it will not resolve that.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 08:36:24 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on September 01, 2020, 08:16:56 pmwe dont know to what stage the OP has modded it.. and what is really a problem he's facing... after these months..

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2020, 01:45:03 am
content: I watched the video and didn't realize the springs should be compressed.All this time I was making them snug; maybe about three turns on the wingnuts.Attached is the settings for the slicer software. Just to understand something, first layer is 0.25mm in height. Does this mean the filament comes out quicker to make a thicker layer, or the head sits higher (0.25mm from the bed in this case)?As for modifications, I haven't made any to my printer. The printer sits as out of the box for the most part. The only "modifications" is the Y frame bracket on both front and rear.The other day I used calipers to first get the nuts on the very rear of the Y axis to be equal length to the end of the threaded rod. At that point I used the printed rear bracket pushed against the Y servo and keep the rear frame brace straight. Then I used the calipers to measure the nuts from the middle frame brace to the rear nuts to make sure those are the same length. Finally, I tweaked the front nuts (with mounting the printed frame bracket) so the slider rods move slightly in the Y axis direction.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2020, 12:41:01 pm
content: So, an update on this from my side.I completetly reversed my bowden upgrade. For the life of me i could not get the thing to properly print. I suspect that the plastic parts i printed were just not up to it. Also i had a hard time getting the other nozzle to stay put.So i put the original extruder together again, did a short print, and right of the bat, except somewhat bad bedleveling, i worked again straigt away. That is with the upgraded Marlin 1.1.9 Firmware.One question though: I thought that now with Marlin i might be able to directly print via USB. But the firmware reboots immediately after plugging the USB in, and does that a couple of times until it finally stays up. I don't thinkt the original ever did that and it does not really fill me with confidence :p

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2020, 07:21:27 pm
content: Quote from: Ranayna on September 12, 2020, 12:41:01 pmthis happened to me at the beginning when i first got my printer. i suspect it has to do with voltage spike or common mode what the name is etc. my fix was to wrap the usb cable iirc few turns aroud a ferrite bead and it fixed it. its hard to see at the back of my printer now but i think its the usb cable or the 12V power supply wire you need to add the ferrite bead. i used the cylindrical type i had laying around. but now i dont print with direct usb connection anymore. i print standalone using sd card. so the usb cable is dangling around just to be used as FW upgrade next time. also make sure your psu is floating type. normal smps psu out there are already floating type, just to make sure you dont use any special psu that has direct connection to neutral line. ymmv.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2020, 07:35:06 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on September 12, 2020, 07:21:27 pmThat's not 'special', that's 'not compliant with any international standards and outright dangerous', and more or less doesn't exist.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2020, 07:41:59 pm
content: Yeah, i'm also back to printing via SD-Card. I just wanted to try direct USB, because i couldn't find the mini-usb cable for my card readerThe next bigger thing i will try though will be setting up Octoprint.By now i have finished my first longer printing project with Marlin. And surprisingly, now the printer is actually faster than what Cura predicts

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2020, 07:47:23 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on September 12, 2020, 07:35:06 pmin case one day you drop by, i'll introduce you with one, its a spindle's psu though, not a normal joe usage

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2020, 01:02:18 pm
content: I've mounted the printer to thick plexiglass with 3x3's underneath for additional support, aligned the Y axis, leveled the Z axis, leveled the bed, etc... With the exception of needing to upgrade to Marlin, mounting the U shaped threaded rod brackets to the base (I printed them yesterday), rerouting the wires, and greasing the rods (I assume it's safe to grease them), the printer is in great shape.I have a few questions:I see a 3D print pulley file for the X and Y axis that has 22 teeth. I'm interested in buying a metal one (I don't see the 3D printed one having the strength and resolution to be an advantage). Has anyone bought one, and, if so, where and type? Any 22T pulleys I've found seem to be for a servo because they have a set screw.The connector to the bed has two soldered wires for the heater (one positive and one ground) and only two pins that connect to the thermistor (the remaining pin holes are hollow). Although soldering the wires reduces contact resistance, it also makes removing the bed difficult. I'd like to buy pins and/or a connector so I can run the heater on four wires (two for the positive and two for the negative). Does anyone know what type of connector that is?Currently I have painters tape on the metal bed. Any parts I print sticks to the tape. The sticking makes the part remain still when printing, however, trying to remove the part has been a challenge. I have a glass plate (that seems slightly warped and also smaller than the bed), but the glass plate itself is slippery. Adding anything causes the same problem as the painters tape. What is the best material for the bed?If I change the bed to something else (like adding a glass plate), the height obviously changes. I find unscrewing the Z axis stop switch and trying to get it to the exact height I need is challenging. I know a 3D print knob exists, am I better off with a knob or the proximity switch upgrade? The proximity switch adds weight to the head, however, it seems to be more precise because it calibrates several points on the bed.Has anyone printed (and used) the Hulk frame upgrade? I see pictures, and the file, however, I'm uncertain whether the installation requires several alterations to the frame to accommodate the Hulk frame.Last... For whatever reason the printer is not printing the parts starting from the center of the bed. Upon trying to print the frame bracket, it was set to fit on the bed in my slicing software, however, when it printed, it was hanging off the bed. To get around it, at the time I used the glass sheet (as I mentioned above), so I hung the glass sheet off the bed, but would like to set a center point.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2020, 01:08:18 am
content: Does anyone have input on my questions?

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2020, 03:25:58 am
content: Has anyone replaced the bearings in their Anet A8?I bought some replacement nylon bearings and they seem much smoother, however, I noticed they wiggle a bit on the rod. I'm wondering if the ones I bought are not correct or if this is normal.

author: towe96
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2020, 09:26:27 am
content: I don't have an A8 myself, but used to use a pretty similar XY-100Printed pulleys work just fine on my X5S, there's a parametric pulley sleeve generator on Thingiverse you can use to make them fit any bearing you'd want to use.22 tooth is a bit unconventional though. 16 and 20 are most common for straight up purchase.I'd probably use a short cable for an XT30 or XT60 connector for bed power. Maybe JST SM for the thermistor?I've tried maaany options, and always went back to glass. I use Magigoo to aid adhesion (PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU).--You'll probably need to set your X_MIN_POS and Y_MIN_POS values in your firmware. Home the printer, measure to distances to the bed, and input those as negatives.Then, you'll just need to specify your print bed size in your Slicer and everything should be well aligned.I put IGUS Drylin bearing on my XY-100, which worked fine and didn't wiggle. Some such bearings are designed as "floating", since with so many bearings it's technically overdetermined. The flex in the acrylic seemed to take care of that though, so many sure yours are "fixed" bearings.