codemaven

I've been having similar problems lately too on my printer which is also 3+ years old (from the first shipping batch)... I have done all of the upgrades but I think the problem is with my nozzle. Extrusion through the nozzle into air seems too thin and inconsistent. I switched to the second nozzle in my dual extruder system and printed fine from there so I'm pretty sure something is either corroded or partially blocking the main nozzle. I've cleaned it with a wire and pulled the head apart as much as I could, but I wasn't able to actually remove the nozzle. It's stuck on there good.... No matter what I do I've not been able to actually unscrew the nozzle. I've heated it up to 250 and tried with wrenches and pliers to the point where i've just rounded off the hex shape on the nozzle. I'm thinking of just taking the whole hot-end assembly off and ordering a new one. Perhaps I might move my 2nd hotend over to the main position since I hardly ever do dual colour prints anyway, then I can order another hotend at some point later. Regards, Troy.

Faberdashery has very good filament. That's where I buy all of my PLA from. The only problem with it is that it does not come on a spool which can make it prone to tangling... I am always fighting with tangled filament and it's not the easiest thing to put onto a spool yourself... But the quality of the filament itself is perfect. For non-pla filament choices I like 3dfilaprint.com. Cheers, Troy.

Hi kesav, Is this the Ultimaker 1 or 2? The most common cause of this (on the UM1 at least) is that your belts are not tight enough. Especially the short belts. That shouldn't affect the Z stage but it can drastically change the dimensions in your XY plane. Make sure all of your belts are tight and see how it goes. Cheers, Troy.

How do people change their nozzles on the UM1? I've never managed to change a nozzle once it's been used... I've destroyed 2 in the past trying to get them off. This past weekend I was trying to take my nozzle off to clean it but it wouldn't budge... I heated it to 220 initially and then bumped it up to 250 and tried for over an hour with pliers and wrenches and it just wouldn't move... I just managed to round off the corners of the hex part of the nozzle in trying to turn it.... And yes, I was turning the right way. In the past I've broken the PEEK and sheered the brass insert tube trying to take a nozzle off for the dual extrusion upgrade... Similarly, I broke my first nozzle when I was trying to replace it with the v2 upgrade. It seems that the brass parts expand and weld / corrode together after use. I think I need to replace my main nozzle now because I'm just not getting proper extrusion from it anymore... But I've not been able to remove it and now I think I might have to resort to a Dremel grinding wheel to remove it. I've started printing everything using my second (duel) extruder by manually putting a T1 in the g-code before printing. Regards, Troy.

Simplify3d sounds like it might be worth a try. Netfabb also supports different print settings at different points in a print, but it is difficult to configure and only supports sections based on Z height. So you can change the infill density, fan speed, temp, etc at different heights of the model. The main feature I like about NetFabb is the ability to independently control just about every type of line... You can set your inner and outer contour speeds and thickness different so you can do inner contours fast and/or thick and then a slow fine outer contour to create a perfect surface. And it supports different line thickness's regardless of your nozzle size. You can do the same thing in Cura by entering a larger nozzle size than what you have and the result is that it simply pushes more volume out than it normally would which spreads out on the surface to make the line thicker. Again, you can set this independently in Netfabb for different lines so I personally like to use nice thick strong lines on the infill (0.8-1.0mm) which allows for a nice solid feeling model without having to use a really high in-fill density. The half-height feature is nice too... That basically slices your model at the specified resolution (default is 0.08mm) but then doubles the number of slices for the outer contour so that it is printed at two 0.04 passes instead of a single 0.08mm pass. The infill is still only printed every 0.08mm. This drastically improves the outer appearance and while it is slower than printing everything at 0.08 it is MUCH faster than printing everything at 0.04 but the end result looks just like it was printed at 0.04. The half-height feature could be integrated into Cura fairly easily I think... and so could the different line thickness and speed options... Cura already allows different speeds for infill and contours... But the configuration to make this work right would greatly complicate the user interface. Cheers, Troy.

I'm wondering if Netfabb is supported at all any more... I still use it, but I don't think there's been an update for nearly a year and I've noticed that it is no longer in the Ultimaker Web Store... If you go to the NetFabb website it says to purchase NetFabb for Ultimaker you still need to do it though the UM webstore... I've found a webpage at software.ultimaker.com that still has the Netfabb download, but that is not the same page that is linked to from the "Our Software" tab so I think it's an old orphaned page. It looks to me now like it is impossible to buy a license key even if you do download the NetFabb installer. it is a shame because NetFabb is a very good slicer and still produces the best quality around. I often use Cura now because it's slightly quicker and easier to use but nothing I've ever sliced in Cura comes close to the quality I get with Netfabb. Cheers, Troy.

I started to print a Tantillus, but didn't get very far. I only printed 2 pieces of the case. Some day I would like to get around to doing the rest. I like the idea of the small portable printer that is almost entirely printed itself. It looks like a good design. Cheers, Troy.

I use Code::Blocks for C++. It's simple, fast, and complete. And it works on Windows, Linux, and Mac. I believe it comes with a port of GCC for compiling on Windows but it supports a wide range of compilers. http://www.codeblocks.org/home Cheers, Troy.

I just use a large trash bag myself... It's not attractive, but I'm more about function than form so it works fine. I have a small CNC mill on the table next to the UM... I quickly found that the dust it produces is not conducive for correct operation of a 3d printer... It gummed up my bearings and completely froze them... So after that I've just put a plastic bag over the printer when the CNC is in use and havn't had any issues since. Cheers, Troy.

Almost all of my filament comes from Faberdashery... All except the non-pla filament that I have. I've got pretty much every colour that Faberdashery makes. It is excellent filament. However, the problem I have with it is that it tangles easily because it does not come on a spool. You need to be very careful with it... It tends to get tangled if just stored with other similarly rolled up filament and if you just feed it into the machine as it is without putting it on some sort of spool it has a tendency to get twisted up and produce a big messy knot that will not feed. Cheers, Troy.

I think the only metal method suitable for FDM is Metal Clay printing. I think there is a printer on kickstarter now that uses this technique. It uses precious metal clay in a syringe to extrude the layers, but after that you need to fire it in a kiln to sinter the particles together... There a number of methods for printing metal objects, but not many of them are amateur friendly. The only one I think we might see someday is a home SLS printer.... but that's a long ways off. Some people have been experimenting with homebuilt SLS, but they are complicated and to make one that can process metals at a low enough cost is not possible yet in my opinion. There are also some people working on homebuilt EBM printers... but these are not practical in my opinion. With EBM you have high voltage, vaccuum pumps, electron guns, radiation, etc... I've built a Fusor at home so I have some idea of what is required for EBM... and It is _possible_ for it to be done at home by a hobbyist with a lot of knowledge and skill... but it's even more complex than building you own electron microscope... I don't think we'll ever see commercially available EBM machines in the amateur price range. Regards, Troy.

I'm not sure what specs the original springs are exactly, but here are the ones I used in my heated bed: http://www.brocott.co.uk/mechanical-components/springs/2-x-compression-springs-18-x-9-5-x-0-7mm-cs013.html Cheers, Troy.

I've gone through 3 fans on my original kit.. My current fan is having troubles (usually needs a manual nudge to get it going) so I'll soon by on my 4th fan.... Maybe this time I'll get wise and insert a regulator in there.... Cheers, Troy.

Hi JumpMobile, that Amazon link is in the US, I don't think they ship that to the UK and if they do it will be very expensive... A quart is a quarter of a US Gallon. Cheers, Troy.

Hi All, I was given a very small sample of XT at the 3d PrintShow in London last week, so I just got around to trying it. I printed a Yoda (my standard benchmark test) and I don't really have a lot to say about it, except that I'm quite pleased. It's very similar in appearance, feel, and flex to BendLay, but printed well the first time without too much fiddling. I've always had problems getting BendLay to extrude properly for some reason... One Yoda is not much of a test really but I loaded the material hit print, and a few hours later had a perfect Yoda bust waiting for me with no fuss. I think I might order a full roll of this stuff. Cheers, Troy.

The UM2 that was printing this at the London 3d Print show clogged while I was there... I didn't see how easy it was to rectify the issue. My experience with LayWoo-d3 is that it clogs easily if you have the temp too high and/or print too slowly so that there isn't enough flow... but clogs are easy to clear with a thin stiff wire. Cheers, Troy.

I got myself a sample of this at the 3d PrintShow in London so I'm looking forward to trying it. I'm just using my 0.4mm nozzle though. I like the LayWoo-d3 and have printed a few things with that, so this will be an interesting comparison. I wonder if ColorFabb will work on a printable sandstone filament next? Cheers, Troy.

In NetFabb I believe the best (and really the only reliable option) is weak fluff support. This builds a bunch of branching towers from the bed up towards the overhands and then at the top few layers before the overhang it deliberately under-extrudes so that the actual support is 'fluffy' and easy to remove... I rarely ever use support though... Best by far to avoid support as much as you can by careful placement / orientation of the model or splitting it up and gluing together. Cheers, Troy.

I will have another look on e-bay for Limonene, but last I looked I couldn't find any locally... All of the offers for it on Ebay were from other countries and willing to ship to the UK at outrageous cost. As for Acetone.... Back in Canada you can buy it at any DIY shop, or department store like Canadian Tire, Walmart, etc... But here in the UK the only place I've been able to find it is e-bay... I was really surprised that neither Robert Dyas and Wickes carry it. Cheers, Troy.

Daid, Have you been able to find Limonene in The Netherlands? I can't seem to find it anywhere here in the UK.... Even Acetone is quite hard to come by here... Cheers, Troy.

I've been printing a few things with Benlay recently. I printed a spindle clamp for my CNC router and some coil-form bobbins for home wound transformers. I've been printing at 250 degrees and heated bed temp of 75 degrees with a success rate was about 50%. For some reason shortly into the print it will start under-extruding and producing fluff... Yet when I stop the print and manually turn the extruder it extrudes just fine... Restarting it works great usually. In all cases the print either starts under extruding at about layer 10-15, or if it makes it past that point then it seems to go fine for the whole print. With the heated bed I do not get any warping of the bottom of the print, but a little ways up (maybe 1.5cm off the bed) the warping forces pulled my bobbin inwards for a bit. I think a heated chamber would really benefit this stuff. It may also work if I lower the extrusion temp a little bit. All of my successful prints were done without the fan, so having a fan might help but the ones that I tried the fan on all failed with the underextrusion problem above. I turned the fan off because I thought that might be related but I don't know if it is or not... My success rate with fan was 0% and without was 50%... But I did not do extensive tests. Regards, Troy.

I've printed a fair bit of Taulman 618 Nylon on my Ultimaker. The biggest issue is warp. I've had no problems with extrusion or layer adhesion, but warping is a big problem. It sticks great to blue tape, but when it starts to warp it just peels the tape up with it and a heated bed makes no difference. The best thing I've found is to use a big brim and print onto a disposable piece of cardboard. You will destroy the cardboard trying to get it off and generally leave a layer of it left on your print, but it works. Even with this I still find my print warps a little bit though, it tends to bend the cardboard a little.... The parts don't look particularly attractive, but they are very strong and great for 'engineering' type tasks like pulleys, motor mounts, and brackets. Cheers, Troy.

I used to change my tape every print. Now I have a heated bed, but I still often use tape.. I never remove my bed (heated or acrylic). The tape doesn't have to be neat... often I only put a couple of strips of tape in the middle where the model will actually be printing. It takes only a couple of seconds to peel off the old tape, pull a length of tape off the roll, and slap it on the bed. No removal of the bed or re-levelling required. Cheers, Troy.

Hi All, I just wanted to chime in here... I've been a long time supporter of NetFabb... I've used NF with great effect since I got my Ultimaker in 2011. But yes, as Daid points out, support for Ultimakers seems to have essentially ceased. NF is still good software, but for the past couple of Months I've been using Cura for the first time. I've always suggested Cura for beginners and NetFabb for people who want to squeeze that extra bit of quality out of their printer by heavily working on custom profiles.... I still stand by that statement, but Cura is really damn good now. There are very few circumstances when I need that extra quality now since Cura is more than sufficient for my needs and it's constantly getting even better. It won't be long before Cura's basic 'out of the box' configurations match a finely tuned NetFabb profile. And Daid is incredibly responsive to support. There are a few NF features that I like which I think are still missing from Cura. These are certain advanced customization settings, but I know Daid's 'vision' for Cura is simplicity and ease of use so I don't expect he will ever incorporate those. Cheers, Troy.

Hi Foehnsturm, No, in my case welded means that the threads have meshed together and then oxidised. It also seems that the brass and aluminium expand and contract at different rates with temperature so they seem to work themselves tighter to the point where they just won't budge. I pretty much only print PLA so I don't have anything flowing between the threads that is a higher melting point. I get green oxidation on the brass threads where they are in contact with the aluminium, which I've attributed to some sort of galvanic action. I'm in the UK so it's fairly humid here, but I wouldn't say that it's more humid than The Netherlands. Do others not have this issue? Regards, Troy.