Nicolinux

Another idea: maybe the z-motor is loose and this leads to z-wobble. You mentioned "...after several months" so it was better before. Maybe due to wear the screws of the z-motor sunk into the wood on one side and thus the whole contraption is inclined to one side.

I know this happens all the time. It was just bitter for me because my machine is just a few weeks old _and_ because I feared this might happen (I need to trust my intuition more in the future). It's like I'd buy an iPhone and Apple releases the 5S shortly after. This doesn't mean the iPhone 5 is bad (I love mine) but that finger print sensor is damn sexy. The analogy here is the heated bed in the UM2 - that's something that I have missed from day one. And speaking of sexy - I've seen just a sneak peek of the new machine but I have the feeling that it looks smoking hot (literally - if they have added a heated chamber, which I hope since the patents for this tech are about to expire early next year).

SandervG from Ultimaker mentioned that if you bought your UM recently, you could contact them with your order number: http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/2916-something-old-something-new-sequel/?p=21373 I bought a kit so I am out of luck.

I think most people don't understand the language. But Google translate helps: "every disadvantage has its advantage".

That's the reason I bought an Ultimaker and not a Replicator2 - performance (and symphaty). But a new model is a new model. I really hope that you didn't just make it user friendly but also worked on some of its flaws (z-stage for example). That's why I would want the new model. Because a new model has to have earned it's right to exists through much engineering and improvements - so it must be better™. And regarding upgrades for the Ultimaker Original, that's fine and we are grateful for that. But I hope that you don't impede development of cool new tech because you need to be backwards compatible to the stone ages - don't be Microsoft in this regard Flattering, thanks. I don't need it per se, but it is time that I need. I started with Linux as a teen and then switched to the Mac. The enormous amount of time that I spent as a kid on Linux, I simply do not have now, so I need to cut corners. Now I have a Unix machine where everything just works and I don't need to fiddle with arcane configs. So I wouldn't mind a better and more user friendly interface and overall a 3D printer that's geared more towards user friendlyness. Besides I am an iOS developer - I am used to pretty things (until iOS6 that is...)

Ultimaker (+upgrades) for sale. Only a month old - for three quarters of the original price. @Ultimaker: I asked before buying but you hinted only the experimental dual extrusion in a couple of months. You didn't have to reveal the UM², just have said "Dude, wait one month." and it would have been enough - I wouldn't have minded waiting :/

Ok guys, thanks for the info. Will ignore this issue. It's not that the belts will come off anytime soon

Thanks for the pointers (more content for the cheat sheet btw.) I will try and print hotter. The stratum vase is really nice and has a nice tune while printing. I found about it here on the forums: post. I would also recommend to scale it up a bit. As it stands it looks very elaborate but the vase is fairly small.

@foehnsturm: Thanks. I have an issue with the belts (presumably) rubbing against the new pulleys. I have created a new thread: http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/2924-better-pulleys-influencing-belts

Hi, I have installed the new pulleys from Markus (@foehnsturm) and noticed that there is some "black powder" on them. I suspect that the belts might rub against the sides of the pulleys. Anyone else with the same issue?

@foehnsturm How did you solve your z-axis coupler problems? I broke a bit while trying to fasten mine and now I fasten it with only one screw... No wonder I have so many http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/2716-cannot-lower-bed-to-reach-endstop/.

I did consider to leave the Ultimaker logo out as a form of punishment for whoever designed the z-stage Actually the Inkscape part was the hardest one. In OpenSCAD it was just one line. Regarding Inkscape - I guess you can do this in Adobe Illustrator too (that's what the Ultimaker folks used). I also considered a hot glue gun but I thought that if I ever want to take it out again I shouldn't use it.

@gr5: I will definitely do this soon. But in the mean time, with my endless z-stage pains I wanted to print some tall objects. While testing I thought it'd be cool to print the Stratum vase. But although I printed at a fairly high speed and realatively hot, the object shows some serious blobbing. How can I avoid it? Layer height: 0.2 Shell: 0.8 Bottom: 1.2 Speed: 100 Temp 225 I printed at 100mm/s and the print took 6 hours to complete. Illuminarti says that printing faster and hotter does not necessarily reduces blobbing, but going slower was not an option here because it already took so very long. I doubled the shell thickness because I printed another vase before that with only 0.4 walls. While it looked ok, there were some holes and I thought that doubling the wall thickness would avoid it. Which in retrospect was stupid for the Stratum vase. It is not possible to make out holes on this object anyway. Here is a pic from the twisted gear vase. Looks alright on the outside, but seems to be a nice home for spiders on the inside

Alright, last update (I hope). I decided to print the entire z-stage back/front panels. So I used my rapid prototyping machine to rapid prototype some panels I just needed to move the holes for the brass nut holder a bit to the left. In order to avoid warping I used a big tape (Orafol) that covers the entire bed and also set a huge brim for the object. It really helped and the warping was minimal: After assembling, it looked quite nice but I had to do a lot of filing for the parts to fit on the left/right arms (a LOT!). I installed it and well... it didn't fit :/. Oh the rage... Now that I disassembled this stupid z-stage more then 10 times, the wooden panels started to wear and small pieces would break out. There is now way I can do this for another 10 times. I was close to resignation and ready to accept the wobble problem but then I remembered that PLA softens when it gets hot. So I took a hairdryer and directed it on the brass nut for about 30 seconds. Then I could move the threaded rod around so that it fit easily in the z-coupler at the bottom. Man this brass nut can store heat... It took more then 10 minutes to cool. It is working now. The z-stage back/front panels and the brass nut holders look like s*** - all bent and skewed, but it works. I don't see any wobble on tall parts. And the brass nut is locked in place and does not move. Still, I am not satisfied. Maybe I will try to find the correct position of the threaded rod and source my own laser cut parts that fit tightly. But I won't do this before Ultimaker releases a heated bed. I hope they re-design the whole z-stage while they are at it and I could replace the entire thing. Just in case someone is interested in the process of exporting parts from the lasercut drawings. Here is how I did it. I can also provide the .svg, .scad and .stl files. I just took the .eps file with the Ultimaker lasercut drawings, converted it with "Preview" on the Mac to .pdf and imported it in Inkscape (set view mode to "Outline"). From there I selected the parts I needed and created a new .svg document. There I connected some loose lines and moved the holes 2.5mm to the left. I exported the file to .dxf (each object on a different, named layer) and loaded it in OpenSCAD to extrude it upwards for 6mm. Then exported to .stl and printed.

Because the nozzle expands when it gets hot. So if you level the bed with a cold nozzle, you will have less distance between the bed and the nozzle when it gets hot. This leads to squashed or deformed first layers. Or you could potentially damage your bed if the nozzle scratches the surface.

That's perfect for the cheat sheet - thanks George.

I thought that it might be a setting - but where is it in Cura? thx

Thanks. But what would be the advantage of a cold nozzle and aligning the z-endstop? Isn't it easiert to only level with a hot nozzle and never touch the z-endstop at all? Thanks for the tip about the 3-point adapter. I was thinking about this too.

Hi, I know that bed leveling is one of the key variables that have to be absolutely spot on in order to achieve good adhesion and good prints in general. The stock bed leveling mechanism is quite painful with the screws always beeing hard to reach. I have tried this thing: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:106576 ... but the whole bed is not stable if the screw holes for the long screws aren't tight. But if they are tight, the springs can not push hard enough and so the bed does not react to slight turns of the thumbwheels. Which leads my to my question. Aren't there any other things to try for bed leveling? I mean something simple that doesn't involve a depth gauge or other weird tech like sharks with frickin lasers It strikes me odd that something that suposedly every Ultimaker user does at least once every 1-2 prints, isnt implemented better by default. Right now while leveling while the nozzle is hot, I have the problem that it oozes a little bit. This makes it hard to judge the "drag resistance" when using a sheet of paper between the nozzle and the bed. Also, if you mind another question. What is with so many adapters for the Z-endstop at the top? Why do so many people worry about this thing? I set it once and never changed it again. The distance between the nozzle and the bed will always be adjusted with the four screws on the bed and compensated by the springs around them. Why is there so much mambo jumbo about the z-endstop? Thanks.

You are right, this would be the best solution. But apparently my skills aren't adequate to make that happen. That's why I thought about sourcing new parts where the holes for the brass nut holder would be alredy in the right place (shifted to the left). I will try to print these parts myself but I guess due to warping they won't be straight/flat. Another quick & dirty solution would be to use something like http://sugru.com and just jam the parts in place

Another update on this issue. I took my Ultimaker apart in order to add the new high quality pulleys (from user foehnsturm) and thought that it might be a good idea to tackle the brass nut holder problem again. I took the original wooden parts and filed down a bit of material so that both holder (left and right) would move a few mm to the left. But this made the problem worse. Apparently the whole brass nut holder has now so much play and it allows the brass nut to also move front to back. The threaded rod wobbles like crazy - this can't be good Here is an image of the changes I made. On the left the original part where I filed down some material. The green part is my replacement I made in OpenSCAD that was used up until now. Video: I deffinitely need to come up with something else. On the one hand I want the brass nut to slide horizontally but not vertically or front to back. I guess that the holes holding the brass nut holders show some wear and are a bit bigger now. That's understandable because I took this damned z-stage close to 10 times out to disassamble it... I consider sourcing my own laser cut version of the front and back panel of the z-stage where I move the holes for the brass nut holders to the left hoping that the brass nut would then be centered on the z-coupler at the bottom. I need to find a laser cutter in my area first though.

That's a problem for me too. I had quite a few failed prints when I try to print individual objects at once (one after another). The first would print fine but the next may not print the first layer well enough and when I come back to the printer I find an enormous plastic blob around the nozzle and one single object... But glad to see that's related to bed leveling because this can be tweaked. Btw. bed leveling - is there any way to make it easier? I tried this thing: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:106576 But it doesn't work well because the long screws do no move freely and the spring does not enough force push them up when I turn the wheel. I made the screw holes tighter because I feared else the bed would wiggle around if the long screws had some play. What bout eliminating one screw with this adapter? http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:129901 Anybody tried it? Our old Prusa Mendel has a 3-point leveling system (with thumb wheels) and leveling is never such a pain as with the Ultimaker.

I have a combined .stl file where I'd like to print each object individually (but in one go) in order to reduce stringing. I have clicked on the object in Cura and selected "split". I then arranged all objects to fit the bed. But Cura still sliced it in such a way that all objects are printed as one. Is there a way to force Cura to print every object individually?

I'd say it is. Daid (the developer of Cura) and Simon (Iluminarti) are both very experienced users and they both reinforce this statement. http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/2294-z-axis-drive-nut-assembly-loose/?p=16193 But it doesn't seem to apply to anybody. George (gr5), another experienced user does not have wiggle at all in his build. So I guess it depends. If your threaded rod doesn't wobble a bit with the z-nut extremely tight, then don't touch it. If not, loosen it.

Hey guys, I've got the pulleys today and will install them tomorrow. Many thanks to Markus for the quick delivery! Any tips about the quality of the set screws? I have other set screws here (DIN913 high-grade steel A2) and wonder which are better interms of "not becoming round when excessive force is used..."