aaron

I think the best way to determine distance is by analyzing a brim or just doing it by eye. You get the feel for it pretty quickly.

I can usually level mine from complete disarray in about two or three minutes. What I do is: Print this: http://http//www.thingiverse.com/thing:62819. It is a z-axis adjuster. Very easy and precise to use. I use the jog function in Cura to retract the filament so it doesn't ooze. Then I move the head around the bed to level it with the four leveling screws. I do not even worry about distance yet. Once it is leveled, I tell Cura to move my z-axis to the home position. Make the necessary adjustments to the z-axis adjuster. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until I am satisfied. Not kidding, really only takes me three minutes max. It is really much easier to turn one screw than to turn four screws. I hope that kinda answers your question Nicolinux.

If there isn't a photo, it didn't happen. Need photos.

Simon, If I were to need to buy one role now of that thick stuff (the 6"), where would you recommend? Do you have a rough estimate on when you will be in a position to sell your rolls?

Glad to hear that it is coming along. I agree with you about the fact that this is a very involved industry. Its a huge blending of guesswork, physics, chemistry, and computer science. A lot for one man haha.

As far as i know only the Ulticontroller can do that. Otherwise, as I think you know, you must set temp to 0 in Cura, wait for slicing, then set the temp your self and wait.

Just wondering where I can find wide masking tape for the best price and/or quality. I know Illuminarti is starting a store sometime. How is that coming by the way? If anyone could throw in their two cents about where they buy their favorite wide tape that would be great. Does anyone suggest anything other than masking tape?

Too bad I live in Montana... I would love to attend the Maker Faire. A bit far away and a bit untimely for me.

As for PLA, I have tried just some average Ebay filament and have been getting much better results with consistency and stringing. The colors are translucent blue, translucent red, and brown if that matters to anyone. Would you say color (not type {metallic vs not metallic}) has different noticeable molecular properties in PLA?

Would I be correct in assuming a higher temperature and higher print speed would help to eliminate globing on small points such as the top of a pyramid?

I had that happen to me once too. Guess it happens to all of us. Luckily I figured it out quickly.

I have found that it is easier to find the proper distance between hot nozzle and bed by using this device instead of using the leveling screws: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:62819 Granted this only works assuming you have already leveled your bed. I just use a flashlight and use the jog function in Cura to move the nozzle to various points and then initiate the z axis home function. From there I just determine the correct distance by eye. If I need to make any adjustments, I simply turn the one screw at the top of the aforementioned device the required distance and repeat the process. Only takes me a minute or two after changing the tape on the bed. I also agree with gr5 on the fact that there is not one "sweet spot" for all prints. You should change you distance depending on your first and perhaps succeeding layers.

That was not at all my implication... Well, I guess I tried.

Kapton tape wrapped around all of the hot components seems to work well. As for the physics of cooling. The way a fan cools plastic is similar to the reason wings work. I can get into this in more detail if anyone wishes but what I am getting at is that in order to achieve proper cooling (dissipation of thermal energy), you must have an air stream blowing in contact with the molten plastic but across it; not directly at it as this is less efficient and could cause it to bend more while it is still malleable (in an overhang situation) due to the shear force of the increased concentration of air molecules. I have found that PLA cools best when you use this fan duct: http://http//www.thingiverse.com/thing:69327 I recommend you wrap the hot components with some sort of insulator when you use this duct because it doesn't entirely avoid blowing air on the nozzle. I have also found that improved cooling by means of a fan helps with elevated ridge mid-print warping and upwards curling (not build plate adhesion warping). I printed several tests and simply having the fan on during those layers eliminated the warping completely (with the aforementioned fan duct). I still had a little warping with the stock fan duct before I switched to the better one. As for the physics of the whole thing, I am not completely sure why cooling helps with curling but I think it is a layer adhesion and filament strand strength thing. It will bend more easily if it is still molten vs. entering preliminary cooling stages. Anyway, those are my thoughts. What do you think?

I must agree with gr5 on his argument on the second page of this thread. He says that this is a kit and a large part of it is fixing it yourself. I think you misunderstood my last post quite extensively. I was not at all chastising you. I was simply saying what it was I was observing. And I by all means do not think that using the forums for help is a bad thing. I definitely recommend it. I am just saying that using the forums to spoon feed you all the information you need every time you encounter a flaw or inconsistency with the wiki is a bad idea. What will happen with your machine has some sort of issue and something happens, say your internet connection dies and you can't consult the forums? If you think outside of the typical consumer mindset that everything has to flow smoothly and perfectly, you will be able to troubleshoot the issue yourself and then fix it yourself. I guess what I am recommending is to only consult the forums if you are absolutely stumped. You are not the only person to buy and have an issue with a kit. Yet, I do not see a thread for every UM customer asking for help on almost every stage of assembly. Again, I am not attacking you, just recommending, for YOUR benefit that you try to problem solve a little more. Keep in mind I was new at this at one point too and I went through assembly. That is why I have the right to say what I say. Anyway, good luck with printer calibration. And I would listen to George's and Illuminarti's posts to the letter. They seem to know their stuff.

Have you ever had any situations where you would find it advantageous to print multiple prints at the same time layer by layer?

Congrats on the successful assembly! It feels nice to have it done (almost). However, I might sound like an ass with my next comment so please don't take this personally. It looks to me like every time you encounter the smallest problem, you shoot strait to the forums and don't try to troubleshoot the issue yourself. Trust me, it is much easier to learn things when you learn them yourself. Tinkering and troubleshooting is also part of the fun of owning a 3d printer. And when you rely on the forums who are always completely ready to happily assist you and provide you information on everything including application problems, I don't think you really learn anything. At least to the extent that you would have had you fixed the printer yourself. So I guess what I am saying is I recommend the next time you have an issue, you should try to fix it yourself. Anyway, you can take my advice or leave it if you don't agree. And I apologize if I came across as condescending. Happy tinkering!

I like the idea with taping the brim. May have to try it sometime.

I stand corrected. Thanks for the input anyhow.

Agreed. The fans and switches could be better. Thanks for the input!

GR5 is correct. And the order is correct. May I ask, how do you add stuff to the wiki?

Has the leak stopped?

I got my screw to go all the way in but it doesnt need to I think. As for the aluminum block, it does not matter because the top threads are alligned w/ the bottom ones.

Has anyone had an issue with any parts wearing out? Has anyone experienced a stepper motor catastrophic failure or just wear out enough to the point that it is useless? Just curious what you guys have found knowing some of you have been had these machines for years.

I always have mine set up in my storage/utility/breaker box/furnace room (whatever you wish to call it). This is great because it is very large so the particles dissipate more and because of the furnace. As most of you know, the furnace circulates and filters all the air in your house, so having the machine right next to it helps quite a bit emissions wise.