latreides

I installed Bondtech DDG on my Ultimaker 2+, and this is what I did: Install the Hardware. Install the TinkerGnome build from TinkerGnome's website (make sure you install the right version!) Reset to factory defaults Calibrate the bed (this occurs during the wizard after a reset) Set the steps per mm to the correct value (unfortunately this can only be done, afaik, after the wizard completes) Note that the change filament routine doesn't use the steps per mm that you set in the normal fashion. Unfortunately there is no good way to do this. The suggested solutions are to patch and build your own version of TinkerGnome or use the version that Bondtech has already provided (and hope they keep it relatively updated). I think that the solutions are worse than the problem, so I just deal with it. The down side is that when changing filaments (with the change filament routine) it doesn't completely retract the filament (it gets about 95% of the way there and you have to use the quick release to remove the rest) and the initial feeding of the filament doesn't feed as much during its "quick" phase so you wait a little longer for filament to come out the nozzle.

Yes its very similar to the stock extruder except its made of sturdier materials and grips the filament better and from both sides.

So the past couple months my UM2+ has been getting worse and worse to the point where it cannot print anything at all. The extruder constantly grinds the filament and doesn't extrude the correct amount (sometimes nothing at all). I posted about it (with pictures) here: https://ultimaker.com/en/community/52126-extrusion-issues-um2 I decided to upgrade the extruder as the first step in fixing/troubleshooting this, and went with the DDG. Without any other fixes/upgrades (those are on their way), the DDG has made a night and day difference. My first (and so far only) print on my UM2+ since the upgrade (yesterday) went very well.

I have been having nothing but trouble with my UM2+ recently. First, 9 times out of 10 the extruder will grind the filament when I change materials. I have to pull on the filament when its reversing to change materials (and then cut off the part that it started to grind away). Second, I am having what I can only surmise is under extrusion. The sides of the model sometimes look like this: This one is more pronounced (its not the common case) I also end up with weak infill and walls that do not touch (almost always). The end result are ugly prints that are very weak and brittle. Clearly the extruder is not up to the task of pushing the filament through the system (in either direction!). There are only a few things I could imagine would cause this: 1. The extruder is broken. (I have taken it apart and cleaned it many times, it looks to be in perfect working order) 2. The Bowden tube is causing a jam of some sort. (I can easily slide filament through the Bowden tube, with no effort, when I remove it from the machine. It is also a 3rd party "slick" Bowden tube.) 3. The PTFE coupler has some material in a "cold zone" that is making it more difficult to push the filament through. (I have replaced the PTFE coupler a few times because this seems to be the go-to solution to a problem like this, but I would think that ~100 hours of print time at 210c on a TFN coupler from the gr5store would not damage the coupler.) 4. The Nozzle is clogged. (The Nozzle is clean, I have done atomic pulls and I can hold it up to the light and see that its empty and the hole is free of obstructions) 5. The filament has gone bad. (I have tried many different filaments, new and old, from different manufacturers, and this problem persists. Also I try the same filament on my UM3 and it works perfectly.) 6. The Heater isn't heating it up to the temperature that the thermistor says it is so its trying to push filament out at too low of a temperature. (Not sure how to test this one without specialized equipment. I have manually set the temperature to 15c more than I normally print at, and while it helps just a little bit, its not enough to make a difference.) I did have a situation awhile back when trying to use a Magigoo sample. Nothing stuck to it and I ended up with a huge glob of melted filament stuck in every place it possible could be stuck in on the hot end. I cleaned this up as well as humanly possible, but there was filament everywhere, even in the holes in the Olsen block where the heater and thermistor go. Does anyone have any ideas? If it is the PTFE coupler again, why do they seem to go bad so often? What could cause this?

I have a new UM3, and for the life of me, I cannot get a good print out of it. This is a new UM3, with a fresh/new install of Ultimaker Cura 3.x, using a default UM3 profile (except I changed the 'Wall Line Count' to 6), using Ultimaker PLA filament with an AA 0.4 mm core. I tried printing a part to this spool holder (multiple times) and I always get the same results. The ugly marks on that are where Cura has oozed filament out onto the build plate and then the next layer squishes them into the part. Here are some more: And on the other side: Some of that last image might be z-scaring, but most of the lines clearly show a piece of filament embedded into the part. To be clear, the oozing is the only issue its having (but its a big one). Every other aspect of the print seems to be working as desired. I cannot be the only one running into this issue. I had a UM2+ hooked up to a different computer, running a different version of Cura, slicing different models, and I was getting the same oozing results (I made a topic on this forum about it) and the only way I "solved" that was to just use S3D, which didn't suffer from this issue. S3D is not an option with the UM3, so I need to actually solve this so the UM3 doesn't end up being a paperweight. Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations/etc...?

(Edit: The forum had an issue with the CSRF token when I submitted this, and then when I retried it submitted it to the wrong forum, I meant for this to be in the Software and Firmware General forum, but it somehow ended up here!) I am considering an upgrade to a UM3 from my UM2+. The hardware is a no brainer for me. The UM2+ is am amazing machine and the UM3 just looks like it adds to that. My worry is software. It is my understanding that Cura is the only slicer that is able to really use the UM3 with any sort of speed and reliability. Now I don't intend for this to turn in to a Cura rant topic, so I will just say that the print quality with Cura on my UM2+ leaves a lot to be desired so not being able to use other slicers (if this is still the case) would likely prevent me from buying a UM3. Does the UM3 work well with other slicers (like S3D?) or is it still just a situation where you can kind get it to mostly work, but this or that feature doesn't work as well. (To be clear, I don't care about the non essential functions, like NFC material detection, or wifi printing/in slicer camera view)

This would be amazing. I will look at these, thanks!

I don't think you quite understand the situation. Melted filament got everywhere on the metal parts of the hot end. In every crack, gap and hole there is. After heating up the Olson block to pull what filament I could off it it, I had to use a torch to melt/burn the rest of the filament off. Even doing that didn't quite get all of the filament (there are still spots that I just could not get into with the torch, wire brush, or fine grit sand paper to clean it up). I cleaned it up pretty good considering the situation it was in, and it functions, but its not pretty. I used a wire brush and fine grit sand paper to get what glue/char that I could, but even after that most of the parts are discolored because of the high heat from the torch. Most of this is hidden behind the fan shroud, sure, but I would like to replace the parts anyway. Not only for aesthetics, but because its difficult to remove the Olson block, the metal coupler, and the nozzle unless its at full temperature because all of the threads have just a little bit of filament or char on them that I just cannot clean off. This is even worse for the Heater and Thermistor since I cannot remove those unless its at full temperature, but once I remove them from the Olson block, they go crazy because the Thermistor is no longer reporting the actual temperature of the heater because they are separate. The only time I ever change a nozzle is when there is a problem, so I am not too worried about this. Why is it a pain? Can you elaborate? I am only really interested in the UM3 Cores if someone manages to make a UM3 print head that can attach to the UM2+. Are there other compatible aftermarket hot ends that are as good as the UM2+ one?

After a failed print (it was left unattended for a few hours and didnt stick to the bed) I had to do some serious cleaning/sanding/wirebrushing on some of the hot end parts for my Ultimaker 2+. At the end of the day I got everything working, but its not pretty (and I almost threw in the towel a few times). All this is to say that I tried just looking for replacement parts (Olsen Block, Heater, Thermistor, Nozzle, and Couplers) and had a hard time finding a store that sold quality versions of all of these. I did find a lot of cheap knock offs, but I worry about the quality of those. I did find all of the parts I would want at one store: thegr5store, but the total cost of everything was not really in the realm of a "failed print, replace parts" mindset. Obviously the official Ultimaker parts are going to be relatively expensive, so this has me wondering if another hot end (say the V6) would be a better. I have seen various comparisons and upgrade kits, but these are all going from an Ultimaker 2, so the comparison isn't really fair to an UM2+, and its replacing parts (like the extruder) that I would rather not replace unless the ones in the kits are actually better than the UM2+ version. To my questions: Is the V6 an upgrade for the UM2+? A downgrade? More or less the same? Is there up to date information for the installation (I found an older UM2 upgrade kit walkthrough but thats it). Is there another hot end that might be better suited? Thanks!

The only ones I have seen have been the Mark2 and the Ulticreatr 2x. Both of these have pretty big downsides. Smaller bed size for Mark2, and a nozzle that gets in the way with the Ulticreatr 2x. Is there an UM3-like solution for the UM2? Preferably one that is not just one guy that made this one thing type of situation? I am interested in the actual numbers because it appears that the Mark 2 would lose an equal amount of build area from the front and back of the build area; since the 2nd head couldn't print all the way in back just like the 1st head cannot print all the way in front. Actual numbers are important because a total loss of ~2cm would be ~10% of the build area. Thats not an acceptable loss for me. If anyone has experience with either of these systems, or others, I would be very interested in hearing your opinions on the topic. I have browsed the forums for discussions (its how I found both of those mechanisms) but other than one topic for each of them, the rest just seems to be one off's, not tried and true solutions that at least dozens of community members have utilized.

I want to add dual extrusion to my UM2+ Currently (as far as I can tell) there are two projects that deal with Dual Extrusion on the UM2+ ULTICREATR 2X http://www.shop.creatr.it/en/ulticreatr/164-ulticreatr-2x.html#/52-printer-ultimaker_2 Mark2 https://magnetic-tool-changer.com/ From what little I can gather, the Ulticreatr 2x setup would have issues with the nozzle hitting the part, the temperature from one nozzle creeping into the other, and oozing. Is this really an issue with the Ulticreatr 2x? Does anyone have first hand experience with this setup? The videos/images on their site are very pretty. The Mark2 looks like it would reduce the printable area on the bed because it has to park the second carriage (it would also take longer to print if there are lots of color changes). Is this an accurate assessment? Are these the only two options? What does it take to build a Dual Extrusion setup? If I were to build my own Dual Extrusion by utilizing the existing parts (similar to how the Ulticreatr 2x works) what more is needed other than a second extruder, motor, bowden, and a nozzle/heatblock set? I guess this question is more of a: Why would I spend $705 USD on the Ulticreatr 2x when I can just buy the parts I need for half that?

What I did was easier for me, but I will try this way the next time I assemble it. The whole point though, was that the way I was doing it, was likely to result in a bowden tube that is not firmly seated in the teflon coupler. Thank you for this insight.

Talking with @gr5 over email about the coupler, I was given some advice for installing it. I removed the coupler, tried to clean it up as good as I could, and reinstalled it. When I originally installed the teflon coupler, I didn't adjust the steel coupler at all. This time through though, I "loosened" the steel coupler (which brings it tighter against the teflon coupler) to put more pressure against the teflon coupler. When I normally attach the bowden tube, I push it all the way down in the slot, and then slide the blue clip over the white base to keep it from coming out. I didn't realize this, but when you slide the blue clip onto the white base, and it raises the base, it will also pull the bowden tube up some, leaving a gap between it and the teflon coupler. What I did to solve this was put the blue clip under the white base just a little bit. Enough to raise it up as much as it is going to, but not enough to actually prevent the bowden tube from sliding. Then I pushed the bowden tube firmly into the base, and slid the clip over. Its not perfect (I think the teflon coupler is permanently damaged) but it is printing a lot better.

That is unfortunate. The glue sticks are very useful and almost guarantee your print will stick. There is a reason that the UM2+'s come with a glue stick. I don't know the age, skill, or background of your students, but I am pretty confident that with about 2 mins worth of explanation, that any ~8 year old could do it (I have a lot of nieces and nephews if you want an outsider to test this theory!). It doesn't need to be a perfect application (its very forgiving), just try your best to cover the area that you are going to print on (and if you don't touch the bed between prints, you can print half a dozen times on the same glue area). There are tricks to make it easier (its easier to spread the glue stick on when the bed is heated, for example), but these are not needed. With PLA, a heated bed is unnecessary (though helpful), so I doubt that the a few degrees variance is going to make a difference. I have not checked but its likely that the heating element is positioned where you are getting the 58c. It is always going to be hotter nearest the source of heat. I use (almost exclusively) MakerGeek filament. I highly recommend it (its very low cost, about $15 per kilo if you let them select random colors for you). I have nothing but great prints with this filament. It prints at a higher temperature than most PLA (210c is what I generally print it at) but it has always given me great results. I hope it works out for you! Don't fear the glue stick!

So I removed the coupler, and it has a little ring of black on the tip that is raised a bit. When I slide a piece of filament through, there is a little bit of friction as the slightly deformed end catches the notches in the filament from the feeder. When I try and pull it the other way through (as in a retraction) there is more friction. Its not a lot of friction, would that cause this problem? This is a brand new coupler from the @gr5 store. I have a hard time believing that its at fault, but I have exhausted every other possibility.

If anyone is still following this topic (or wanting to help trouble shoot with me), something I noticed recently might help diagnose the problem. When I change filament, sometimes it will get "stuck". It wont actually extrude any filament on the "wait for filament to extrude" step. When it does this, I "change filament" again, and I notice that the end of the filament that comes out is perfect. Its not melted or attached to any of the remaining fragments that were in the printer before. This leads me to believe that its actually getting jammed in the hot end. I have taken the hot end apart a dozen times now, and it all looks great. The only part that I could imagine it getting stuck on is the very edge of the coupler, but the coupler is new and the end of the bowden tube is as straight as I can make it. If I round out the end of the filament before I feed it in, it tends to work every time. Could it be that the burs from the feeder gouges in the filament are somehow getting caught on some portion of the hot end, and jamming for log enough for the feeder to slip and grind?

Its difficult to troubleshoot without more specifics. You did not say what material you are trying to print with. I suggest starting with PLA. Once you have printing going well with PLA then you can move on to others. With PLA, I usually print directly on the glass, with the bed heated at 60c. Painters tape is not going to help you much (if any) here. Its just going to give you a rough bottom layer. This should be enough to stick most prints. I typically have to let the built plate cool in the freezer before I can pull the part off. If you need extra adhesion (sometimes with really tiny parts its needed) then use a glue stick. Heat the bed up to ~40-50c and apply the glue stick. Be careful though, this can make the part stick too well. Only use this if the part will not stick to the glass otherwise (and that should be a pretty rare occurrence) You should also make sure that the bed is the correct height (and level). Run through the bed adjustment process on the UM2+ making sure that when you slide the calibration card under the nozzle that you feel just a little bit of friction. Too much and the printer will try and squish the filament into the bed, too little and it won't stick to the bed at all. By far the most important thing for adhesion is DO NOT TOUCH THE BED. I cannot stress this enough. No one told me this when I got my first printer, and I could never get a print to stick and it was driving me crazy. It turns out that the oils in your hands and fingers will prevent the part from sticking where ever you touch it. I can touch the bed once, with the tip of my finger, and watch the print stick everywhere except that exact spot. Isopropyl Alcohol is good to clean the finger print oils off the bed. I hope this helps you. Here is a print I did recently. Its printed directly on the glass bed (60c heated bed), without any glue. It was stuck so well that I had to put the glass build plate in the freezer (you can see the ice forming on the build plate!) and even then it wouldn't pop off without a little force.

That is really interesting, though it would not be easy (nor cheap) to source all of the non printed materials. I wager I would end up spending as much as the Sanjiu feeder, just in sourcing the parts. The Bondtec does have an alternate mounting option using their UM3 mount that they say is compatible with the UM2. It makes their feeder a more viable choice. I am still looking for other suggestions (and maybe future visitors will find use in these as well), but I am leaning towards the Bondtec.

I rely on this functionality (I use it multiple times a day) so I would need this change. To be honest I am not even sure how one could change filament on the UM2+ without using this function.

I am looking at their site: http://shop.bondtech.se/ec/extruders/bondtech-qr-30-universal.html The site lists custom firmware and in the documentation it states: It also never actually clearly states that its compatible with the UM2+. I am assuming that since the motor mounts on the outside, and the UM2/UM2+ holes for the feeder mount seem to be the same, that anything that is compatible with the UM2 would also be compatible with the UM2+?

I turned off retractions, reduced the print speed to 25 mm/s, set the hot end temperature to 235c, bed temperature to 60c, and reduced the feeder tension. I also oiled the Bowden tube with a little bit of sewing machine oil, as recommended to me by MakerGeeks. I plan on trying again with a little bit of retraction to see if I can clean up the top. If you manage to print any with your MakerFlex, post here please. I would like to know others experiences and tips!

The Bondtec looks like an amazing feeder, however it mounts the motor externally, which requires it to stick out the side of the UM. This is an eye sore. I purchased the UM2+ instead of other printers, partially because of its aesthetic. I am not desperate enough to get the feeder working (yet) that I am willing to look past this. An additional note. The Bondtec requires a custom firmware. I know that UM2+ is mostly a hardware upgrade from the UM2, does UM2 custom firmware work out-of-the-box on a UM2+? Switching to their custom firmware will lock me out of any and all updates from Ultimaker, correct?

I have managed to get a first test print through using MakerFlex. This is with no retractions so it messed up the very top part.

While I absolutely appreciate the feedback and troubleshooting ideas, if we could keep that in the topic I started (and linked above) so that this topic (asking about peoples experience with third party feeders) doesn't just become a continuation of that topic, that would be preferable. To answer the comment though, not only am I using the same sized spools (and same brands) that I have used without issue running the machine almost non stop for the last two months, but I also oiled the inside of the Bowden tube (as recommended in various places) in hopes to reduce the friction. I have also tried printing with some filament that was not on a spool (it had been previously though) to see if that would help, and I tried a couple different new spools of filament to see if not being as curved as it is towards the center/end of the spool would help. None of these things really made a difference.

Thats for the non plus UM2 lines to be upgraded to 2:1 geared ratio like the UM2+, it won't help the UM2+ any. I was happy with mine too, until it started having issues feeding, and I don't know why. The spool holder on the UM2+ isn't very good. It holds the spool too far forward, so it doesn't have a straight shot from the spool to the feeder. Unfortunately all of the printable replacements I have found for it, try and copy this. I checked the gear and it doesnt look like its stripped out at all on the back. I will double check though. I hope to get reviews (ones that are independent of that store front) on this feeder so that I know if its any good. I like the fact that it has two points of contact on the filament. Other feeder suggestions are welcome too!