donmilne

Similar story for me. I bought the UM2+ Upgrade Kit quite some time ago but only got around to installing it this past weekend. The instructions were lacking - I found that my printer has no ferrite core, also no fan connector in the middle of the control board. Apparantly this means that I was an early adopter and therefore I deserve to fail! I understand I'm supposed to fit the fan connector to the J22 serial header - which I did, but I'm not sure I fitted it to the correct pins - I found no pictures to guide me, or even mention of the problem outside these forums. Is there supposed to be fan noise when you switch on the printer? Somewhere on these forums said yes. I hear none, but the two fans on the print head do work. Is there a third fan? Like the OP I also encountered the problem with the new print head being a few mm wider and therefore whacking into the left side of the printer case when it tries to home itself - the collision with the side stops it fully pressing the X axis limit switch. I did not like the idea of abusing the limit switch lever or drilling new holes in the case to move the limit switch. Instead I used another 3D printer to print a little widget that slips over the top of the back x-axis slider block, adding width so it hits the limit switch a few mm sooner. It works very well and now my new UM2+ is working sweetly except for my doubt about that fan. The upgraded extruder on the UM2+ seems to be a real improvement.

I haven't been here for a while. I just wanted to post a thank you for this link. I was getting severe slipping on the y-axis, but only with some prints. I had checked all the accessible pulleys, I couldn't reach the ones on the motor itself. The main thing that made the difference was that gem about using homing the print head and seeing if I can move it. I could! Without that certainty I'd have been reluctant to start taking things apart to reach the motor. And, so far it is printing perfectly - after about 6 failed attempts. On the bright side - I tuned a lot of things trying to debug this, so now it's working as good as ever!

Since everyone comments on it, I guess I must be unique in being quite happy with the old fan noise. It tells me that I've left the printer turned on!

Yep, I have to agree that I don't recognize this claim. If we are talking about the forums then if anything it's IME ColorFabb and Faberdashery filaments that get the most talk. I don't recall anybody ever touting the UM filament even though the quality is acknowledged to be good for the most part. Then again I don't read every post so a link would be useful.

Or just feed in more filament before you release the catch on the feeder? I have yet to fit my feeder upgrade, which may explain why I'm still struggling to imagine what the problem is.

Jeez. Some people are never satisifed. Seriously folks, many other consumer level 3D printing companies force you to use their branded filament cartridge system, so they have you over a barrel. With Ultimaker, if you don't like UM prices you are free to shop elsewhere!

Speaking for no-one else, I have to say that I don't understand. Are you saying that you snapped the filament? Or are you just saying that the filament doesn't come all the way out? If this is it then I expect it's by design: push the release lever on the new style feeder and pull the filament out, which should happen easily. Try to keep the filament reel from unravelling.

I just wanted to say that I'm in the UK, and I received the upgrade kit this week (Thursday I think). I'm posting this to assure fellow UK users that kits are being shipped by the official distributor (3dgbire). I think I made the order around the beginning of March, they were quite clear that there was going to be a wait - and I didn't mind because I have a lot of other projects occupying my time.

I had to work on other things for a few months, but when I started visiting again recently I was pleased to see that the new forum is greatly improved. Information density is, in most places, back up to where it needed to be to be useful. Except in one place that I've found: when viewing my own posts, e.g. when trying to find an old conversation when I can't remember the exact forum section or topic title. I go to my profile and view my "list" of posts... and it's still using one huge tile per post. It's really rather ridiculous that I have this huge 26"/65cm widescreen monitor, but I can only see 3 of my posts without scrolling. It would be nice if this and any similar remnants of the forum-killer forum was fixed.

Um.. why shouldn't the rods through the head be oiled? I've already given all the rods a drip or two of sewing machine oil in a bid to cure the squeaks (with little if any success) - and that included the two rods you mention. There was no effect good or bad that I noticed. Is this a temperature concern perhaps? If so I'll watch out, but nothing alarming happened, e.g. no smoke. ps. I have the UM2+ upgrade on order, so I expect I'll soon be replacing the head and its rods anyway.

Hi George. I thought I'd provide some closure on this. It has taken me a long time to get around to it, but a couple of months ago I ordered a screwdriver type hex bit set (with ball ends), and this weekend I finally got around to trying it! The problem turned out to be (I think) a spacer tube on the end of the rod that stops the rod sliding too far and falling out of its bearing! This spacer had been knocked out of position when I had my accident. I was able to loosen a few grubscrews, push everything back and tighten it all up again. I tried making myself a couple of little clip-on jigs to help align the axes, but I'm not sure that helped a lot - just pushing the spacer hard against the endstop seems to be what made the difference. Whatever I did, I must have done something right, because I just printed off a test piece (the piece that I previously noticed was elliptical), and it now comes out perfectly circular - well ok, it's 33.6mm at max by 33.0mm at the min, so within the margin of error expected of the .4 nozzle. And the sides were perfectly plumb too. The only problem I have now is that it makes the loud squeaks on the y-axis when printing. I'm assuming I went overboard on that spacer and now it's probably rubbing on something. Ah well, a problem for another time! Oh p.s. you previously asked for a photo of the problem, but I doubt that would have helped. The elliptical shape was subtle, I doubt you'd have seen anything in a photo. It's only when you tried to use the part that you notice it's not quite round and the sides weren't quite straight.

If you're going to do it right away then I really wouldn't put the old feeder back: while some may struggle along with it, there are better designs which mean you don't have to struggle. The one I use is this variant on Robert's design :- https://www.youmagine.com/designs/yet-another-ultimaker-2-feeder I like this because it ensures that the filament is straightened out before it enters the feeder. I also add a clamshell type sponge holder that wraps around the filament and cleans off any dust from the filament (and optionally lubricates) before entry into the feeder.

Be very careful about taking the bolts out - you will indeed hear something drop down inside the printer, because the stepper that drives the filament is held on by those same bolts! Be careful too about the contents of the feeder case - things will drop out of there too. Don't panic, you'll work out how to put it back together. In the past I would have recommended replacing the hopeless stock UM2 feeder with Robert's one, but if you have the UM2+ upgrade kit on order then that's maybe not worthwhile. Basically, grinding happens when the pressure required to push the filament is greater than the failure force of the filament (considering the minimal contact that the knurled wheel has with the filament). In fact on the UM2 you normally get skipping before you get grinding (both result in failed prints). There can be lots of reasons for excessive back pressure from the extruder: using too low a temperature (you learn what particular filaments need), using too high a speed, too much tension on the feeder, too much curl on the filament causing friction inside the bowden tube etc. There can be other explanations that don't usually apply to a new printer (e.g. deformed teflon tube after many ABS prints, or after printing at too high temps).

I guess you're saying that my concern about cleaning may be misplaced because there won't be grinding debris, right? You have a good point there.

I do my printing in a small boxroom, and I've never noticed a PLA smell. There might be a warm ozone smell similar to a photocopier or laser printer. Though actually that might just be the film of PVA glue I have on the hot buildplate!

"Releasing the filament" isn't the same as "making it easy to change the filament"! In Robert's design one half of the feeder swings aside, allowing room for my fingers to get in there and coax a filament where I want it to go, before closing it all up again. So the whole design makes it easy to change filament, I wasn't just talking only about a pressure release. And there's the issue of debris collecting inside. Another fatal flaw in the old feeder is that if you took the cover off to clean the inside, the stepper fell off the back, and the feeder bits dropped off the front. Then you needed 3 or 4 hands to put the puzzle back together. I believe that at least is fixed now, right? There is now some kind of permanent mounting plate?

I have ordered the kit, but it will take 3 weeks to arrive, and I'm unsure how much of it I'll fit. I use Robert's feeder and love how easy it makes it to change the filament. The new feeder looks more powerful, but to my mind still inherits a lot of flaws from the original (closed design collects debris during retraction, filament hard to change, tension fiddly to adjust. I believe the closed design my be something to do with safety concerns. I don't share those concerns so I'm hopeful that at some point Robert will adapt his design to include the good features of the new feeder (gearing, hobbed drive).

Heat makes the filament soft at the feeder end? Although that may be a component, it doesn't really match my intuition. I'd say we get grinding when the rupture force on the small bit of filament in contact with the hobbed wheel is less then the back pressure from the extruder head. I guess that yes, temperature can reduce the former. When I saw "geared feeder" I had hoped that meant that gearing was being used to drive multiple hobbed wheels and so increase the contact area on the filament, which would also enable a more powerful stepper. So not that then. Oh well, thanks all, but I think I'll wait to see feedback before I jump to replace Robert's feeder that I have on my machine now (and like a lot).

Hmm. Thanks both. However I don't think either of those qualifies as a technical discussion of the improvements in the new feeder. Somebody thinks this new design solves problems. Which problems? And what makes this the preferred solution? As an aside: I see that the new feeder is another closed box. Why not open like Robert's? (IMHO less prone to clogging up with debris). Has there been a safety decision that mandates the closed box feeder?

Hi. I've been distracted by other projects for several months and I return to find the new UM2+ offering, with upgrade kit coming soon. I'm intrigued by the geared feeder, but having searched I can't find any better description than an exterior picture and the name: "geared feeder", and "available soon". Is there perhaps a topic or document that discusses the technical improvements in the new feeder? I particularly want to know if the new feeder enables a more powerful stepper without chewing up the filament.

I seem to remember that we had this discussion before, and the conclusion was an exterior grade spray paint, e.g. automotive.

Thanks for the replies, and sorry for the delay, however I've gotten tied up with other projects at work and at home, so I haven't been doing any 3D printing. I will try out your advice as soon as I get a chance.

Is there an approved way to get clearer access to the pulley ends? On the UM2 they're hidden under a rim which seems to be part of the main structure, requiring major surgery of the frame if I want to remove it. I.e. it looks like I have to remove the left and right sides first, then the top

I already described my printer in my UM profile. Did these not carry over from the old forums? Anyway, it's a UM2. I'll update the new profile. When you say "rods sliding in and out", as far as I know it's always done that, by a few mm. Is it not supposed to? I have to say that I'm wary about those pulleys. ISTM that access to the grub screws is poor, and the grub screw heads look likely to get reamed.

I'm aware that there's another topic with a similar title, but I believe my problem is different so I've added the (DM Version) to my topic. Anyway, a while back (right before the old forum went offline - bad timing!), I had a mishap with my printer. Without noticing it I had managed to have the printer sitting on a loop of filament. When this pulled tight (Robert's feeder - pulls plenty tight!) the printer made an almighty rata-tat-tat noise. At first I didn't diagnose the issue - I aborted the print and tried again... rata-tata-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT! Pulleys were pulled loose. I tightened them up, but ever since then the printer can't do circles properly anymore - they come out slightly elliptical, with the major axis on the topleft to botright diagonal. I'm assuming that the rod corners were pulled out of square, and that I should have squared them up (somehow?) before tightening up. Does anyone recognize this, and have suggestions how to fix the problem?