mgg942

That's good. I'm also new and have had a similar experience. Because of the onerous postage cost to Australia I've looked for alternative sources of nozzles and found this:http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/251261994682?var=550230700985&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 I've one in the machine now and it seems fine.

I did hook it up backwards and the fan didn't work so hopefully a bit more (rather tricky) soldering will make all well.

Many thanks.

Sorry, I didn't explain myself properly. The blue and purple wires have become detached from the plug. The two parts of the plugs are still together. The red and black wires are attached to one side, and on the other side no wires are connected. I need to resolder the blue and purple wires to the plug and I don't know whether to line the blue wire up with the red wire or with the black wire. Thanks.

Hot end sprung a leak. When reassembling I noticed that the blue and purple wires had come out of the fan connection plug at the top of the hot end assembly. Could someone kindly tell me what the blue wire should connect to. To the red wire of the fan lead, or to the black wire of the fan lead? Thanks in advance.

Well, I dunno.... Checked Ulticontroller - z-axis steps/mm 533 I used the Ulticontroller to Auto Home, measured as shown below. Used Ulticontroller to move down 50mm, Measured. Then back up 50mm measured. Did this twice. 50mm down measured 49.67, 49.79 Return to zero measured 0.13, 0.27 Before checking the jumpers, I uninstalled Cura 13.04 and closed_beta_2. Then installed Cura 13.05. Made new gcode and all seems well!!!! I've been confusing myself with the several Cura versions so I'll now have only 13.05 - for a while at least. Re z setting. I don't know if the photo was misleading or not, but I've no issue with adhesion. Possibly through scrupulous use of Isopropyl alcohol. Nonetheless I'll move in the direction that you've recommended. Thank you both for your help. Here's how I measured - a couple of pieces of wood on the patform and a digital vernier.

Thanks - I'll check that tomorrow as it's 1030pm here.

Made a couple of things this morning - no problem. Then a problem that has me baffled. The print starts off fine but something goes wrong as the number of layers mount. To my inexperienced eye it looks like the z steps are too great. The photo is of a whistle that I've made successfully several times using the same material (PLA/PHA). Settings are Cura beta 2 defaults, layer height 0.1mm, filament diameter 2.85mm, fill density 20%. Z motor coupling grub screws are tight (all 4). I increased the pressure on the extruder feed. No better. Hopefully someone can take a look at the photo and identify the problem!

I found that the locking mechanism took a little figuring out. Perhaps you can post some photos of your assembly showing it in the locked position and the locking mechanism in clear view.

I suggest that good practice is to have the pulleys as close to the bearings a practicable - minimises bending moment on the shaft. You will need access to the grub screws which may be a limiting factor. The comment in the previous post is the overriding consideration.

Didn't get far with the link you provided. As far as I could find out the successor to Inventor Fusion is Fusion 360 and access to the beta is here: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=20884205&siteID=123112 Thanks for the heads up.

I'm new too, but I've done some design in OpenSCad and your first problem sounds as though the software is confused because the bottom of wall is merely touching the top of the slab, rather than projecting into it to make it a once piece solid. To make the walls as strong a possible use 100% infill. Mike.

Sorry to read that you're having a difficult time. I've only had my (kit) Ulitmaker a few weeks but I have some loss of extrusion experience already (far too much,in fact). The first was obvious - the bowden tube had come out at the hot end. Eventually fixed (with the help of advice from this forum) with a new retaining collar (collet). This problem may have been largely my poor assembling - and, perhaps, a substandard retaining collet. About a week later, lost extrusion again. Bowden tube OK (both ends), absolutely no sign of leakage.Looked up the Wiki and followed the advice to try 240C, 250C. No good. Searched the forums and found a note from Daid suggesting 260C - and, once the nozzle was clear, then making something at 260C. Wound up to 260C, waited a couple of minutes, and then pushed the filament by hand. After a while the nozzle coughed and spluttered and material started coming out, after another minute or so it looked as though it was coming out at the right rate. Given the strong words in the Wiki about only a few minutes at 250C I wasn't keen to continue at 260C - which may well have been a mistake. Dropped the temperature to 210C and all seemed well. Started making something, all fine for quite a while then extrusion stopped again. Once again Bowden OK and no leaks. Couldn't push filament through by hand. Fully disassembled the hot end. Very hard to see into the nozzle. Put it into our electric oven inverted at 250C for quarter of an hour and black stuff came out. But not clear. Could find nothing to push through the 0.4mm hole and have ordered some 0.3 and 0.4 drills (with plain ends so I won't have to put a cutting edge through the nozzle). Reassembled, but broke the brass tube when doing so. Yes, I was using a wrench on the PEEK. A complication is that the the PEEK lower end had swollen and kept jamming in the Aluminium plate. Fed up with this I've ordered a new nozzle, PEEK and brass tube. In the meantime I've filed down the swollen PEEK so that it no longer jams. Once the drills arrive I'll clear the nozzle (using a butane torch) though without being able to clean it thoroughly internally I'm worried about residual carbonised PLA. If (when) I have this problem again I'll follow through with the 'make something at 260C advice'. Sorry that I can't offer you an easy solution to your problem - only the consolation of knowing that you're not the only one suffering!

Thanks - will do so. More vigour with set screws - less with the hot end brass tube which I've just broken. Might not be the last, either, very thin walled.

Another print in PLA/PHA. This is a light guide to direct light from an LCD ring light onto subject for a macro photo. Top diameter 116mm.

I'm new but have already used White and Utramarine PLA/PHA. Works well but I can't make any useful comparisons with PLA. I made the Klein bottle (100mm tall) in Ultramarine PLA/PHA.

Beginner again. Tried Cushwa's Owl with Steam Engine. Perfect up to just above the nails of the talons. When I next checked I found that the printing had shifted 20mm to the left and the Ulticontroller bore the message that the X-axis stop had been reached (or words to that effect). I'm surprised that hitting the stop didn't abort the print - should it have? I realise that this may not be associated with Steam Engine (a power spike?), but, then again, it might... BTW the machine is printing normally now. No damage. No unduly slack belts. I plan to try the Owl again tonight - but with 13.04 Mike.

I've just experienced my first blocked nozzle. Extrusion stopped half way through a print. Mercifully not a long print. No sign of leakage. Bowden tube still in place. Tried pushing the filament by hand - nothing. Dis-assembled the hot end following the Wiki. Nothing in the PEEK. So re-assembled the hot end and tried 240-250C for a couple of minutes as in the Wiki - nothing. Looked on the forum and found that quoted above. So turned up to 260C. After a few minutes and quite a bit of pushing the nozzle was cleared. I kept pushing until the extrudate looked normal. Then printed a model at 210C satisfactorily. Two suggestions: 1. That the Wiki be modified to recommend the 260C procedure. 2. That a preventative procedure be developed to AVOID blocked nozzles. Imagine a blockage after many hours of printing...

Beginner here. Running Windows 8, 64 bit, and Ulticontroller. I think that the GUI is very fine, can't think of anything that I'd like different. However I did notice that settings made in 'quickprintt' (eg diamter; support structure) are not carried through to 'full settings', and vice versa. I've made a number of items (some original designs, an extruder gear, xy belt tensioners, whistle, folk flute etc) using Steam Engine - all turned out well IMHO. But, I tried the Klein bottle in Steam Engine and that was an abject failure. After 1 1/2 hours the print was only 7mm high and looked very wrong. I had the impression that the z-axis movement had stopped. Then ran the Klein bottle on 13.04 - no problem. Finished in 3 hours and 2 minutes. Mike.

No guarantees, but this looks likely: http://www.purewaterproducts.com/quickconnectleakfixing.htm Mike.

I know that feeling!

Plumbing supplies didn't have it but the guy suggested a shop that sells domestic water filters. I went there, showed the fitting which they recognised. Asked how many I wanted - I said half a dozen - he said that we don't carry them, except as part of a kit. But, we do scavenge them off old filters and he gave me two! Works at treat, even on this Bowden tube which has been through a bit. Might be to the good, I suppose, roughened up the surface. I think the fitting is ex US as the tube measures closer to .25" O/D and .125" I/D than it does to any metric size. If only we could track them down.... Printing as I write. Happiness reigns! Mike.

Thanks - I've just tried the test you described. One hand pushing the filament and the other in contact with the Bowden tube at the extrusion end. As soon as I started to push the tube started to move out of the head. Not much effort at all. And thanks for the plumbing store tip - I'll try that this morning. Mike.

Recently completed assembly of my new Ultimaker kit. A few hiccoughs along the way - just enough to keep me on my toes. My first print was very satisfactory (PLA using Cura 13.04 defaults) - but I've been unable to do a second one. The second attempt started well and went along OK for, I guess, 10 minutes. After that I noticed that progress seemed very slow and eventually realised that the Bowden cable had popped out of the extrusion head, This is an Ultimaker Rev 4 extrusion head with an injection moulded V shaped piece to retain the Bowden tube clamp (Shown here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ultimaker/8637890156/lightbox/ - though my wooden piece had no TOP marking.) Much reading of troubleshooting, posts etc. Stripped the hot end - found no blockages. Re-assembled, taking great care to precisely follow the assembly instructions. But, no luck. Dis-assembled again - found no blockages. Re-assembled, fed filament through by hand, seemed OK. Tried again. Reverted to the design that I had printed successfully. Started off fine, but after a few minutes I could see from marks that I'd made on the Bowden tube that it was coming out, so aborted the print. Found that the tube pulls out easily, even with the retaining clip still in place. Tried the other end - just the same. So I've ordered 3-for-the-price-of-2 Bowden tubes.(BTW I think that the Bowden tube clamps should be available separately) It's more than possible that my initial assembly was lacking in some way, and, perhaps, once the Bowden tube has been forced out the situation is irrecoverable without new parts. It does seem however, judging by the number of posts that document Bowden issues that the design is marginal at best. I did like the design posted recently of an elongated PEEK part to which a larger diameter Bowden tube is screwed. One less part and a securer connection out in the open. Unfortunately I don't have the facilities to make something similar. Mike.

I qualify under " inexperienced". Still waiting for my kit to clear customs in Oz. Mike.