Old Owl's UM2 E3D Bulldog XL conversion...

[WiseOldOwl 7]

Hey guys - I'm currently upgrading my UM2 to an E3D V6 and Bulldog XL. I could use some help from you kids that are 'good under the hood'.

I modified a V6 heater block to accept the UM2 heater (39W from GR5) and the original PT100, so there shouldn't be anything to do as far as the heater goes compared to the stock one - or is there? I found the E3D mount on the web and pulled down the UM2 Master file to get the fan shroud. I modified it in software and CNC cut it out of copper. (It's what I had laying around...) I still need to true it up a little to get it perfect & for some reason it only fits on backwards...(front tab to back in order for mounting screws to work) I must have missed something.

1) One issue I have is addressing the difference between the 25mm stock hot end cooling fan which is 5v and the one I have for the E3D which is 24v. How can I do this?

2) I haven't wired up the Bulldog yet, but from another thread I read that the steps per unit need to be changed to 495. I don't recall if this was on a UM1 or UM2, so any help here is appreciated. (Reason I ask is...isn't the UM2 16 microstepping?)

3) I know I will have to get into modifying the firmware for the XY 0,0 location AND for the Bulldog steps...I am familiar with uploading sketches via Arduino front end - is this the most painless way or ??? I read somewhere on here about getting an error loading firmware with the UM2 because something wasn't included...I need some help here...

Thanks BIG TIME in advance!!!

[WiseOldOwl 7]

OK...so the E3D Cooling fan will go to the J20 terminal, which according to this thread supplied 24v whenever the UM2 is powered on. It would be nice to have it come on & off @ 50C like my Prusa i3 does, but walking before we run here.

I still need to mod the firmware...maybe take the plunge later tonight. I should only have to modify the configuration.h, for the Bulldog right?

I thought that this forum would be more active than it is when I bought one of these machines a year ago...I have no idea where all the activity went or where else to even ask such questions.

[WiseOldOwl 7]

OK...I'm here answering my own questions...LOL! Actually, I am putting info here for others.

I downloaded the Tinkergnome .hex file and updated the firmware using that through USB cable and Cura (Machine->Install Custom Firmware) - Wow! Fantastic!!! From the front LCD on the UM2 I am able to change steps/mm for any axis including the Extruder. I changed the value to 495. I'll verify the distance and direction proper soon.

I reused the E motor connector on the board since I didn't have one here. I do have a bunch of Molex MiniFit Jr plugs, so I put one on the board connector pigtail to connect either the original motor or the Bulldog XL. I always like doing things where I can go backwards if I don't like changes. It is more effort, but...

Copper fan shroud needs some tweaking as it will hit the glass before the nozzle. Nothing a few little bends here or there can't fix.

Nozzle heats up fine. I don't know how to PID tune yet, but will look into that later.

More later...

Edited January 8, 2016 by Guest

[Labern 774]

For the rear fan you can look Here and find a suitable 5v fan for the correct size and flow if you want to go that way. depends on how old your UM2 is will depend on if it will turn on and off when it heats up.

[WiseOldOwl 7]

For the rear fan you can look Here and find a suitable 5v fan for the correct size and flow if you want to go that way. depends on how old your UM2 is will depend on if it will turn on and off when it heats up.

 

Thanks Labern. I took delivery of my UM2 almost exactly 1 year ago. The original 5v heater cooling fan came on whenever the unit was powered on and stayed on. The same result with the 24v fan plugged into the J20 header. It would be nice to have fan come on/off @ 50C just to save wear on the fan if a print stops while sleeping.

Last night I tested the extruder - works great! Practically squirts/shoots filament out of the nozzle if I move the filament that fast! It IS going in the right direction so no rewiring of the stepper to change rotation.

Loving the Tinkergnome firmware/menu system...wishing it was on there sooner! My newest challenge is figuring out how to modify settings somewhere so that the right-side fan shroud doesn't smack into the side of the enclosure when I do things like level the build plate. I am assuming I need to search for a Max X or Y setting somewhere in the firmware and recompile, but not sure...

[tinkergnome 927]

My newest challenge is figuring out how to modify settings somewhere so that the right-side fan shroud doesn't smack into the side of the enclosure when I do things like level the build plate. I am assuming I need to search for a Max X or Y setting somewhere in the firmware and recompile, but not sure...

 

Here is what i did for the y min and the x max position:

 

1. use "Advanced -> Expert functions -> Move axis" to figure out how far you can move the axis ("Home" the axis first)

2. use "Advanced -> Preferences -> Print area" and adjust the min (resp. max.) value (using the determined values from the first step)

 

The heatup position and the positions of the buildplate wizard are calculated from these values.

Regarding the fan control: i followed this approach - works flawless so far.

[WiseOldOwl 7]

Here is what i did for the y min and the x max position:

 

1. use "Advanced -> Expert functions -> Move axis" to figure out how far you can move the axis ("Home" the axis first)

2. use "Advanced -> Preferences -> Print area" and adjust the min (resp. max.) value (using the determined values from the first step)

 

The heatup position and the positions of the buildplate wizard are calculated from these values.

Brilliant! I did see the Print Area menu item last night, but I was tired. Worked perfectly! I owe you a beer...or gluhwein

I am a bit puzzled though because I compiled Marlin with Max X and Max Y values (line 356 or so) and after hiding the Wires.cpp/.h files it finally compiled. I then thought that Cura was strong-arming the .hex by flavoring it with something - so built a new config with the XY values I wanted (as a RepRap machine) and sent that over using Cura. Still no respect for the XY values I put into Marlin before compiling...Maybe there is another location for these values than Configuration.h ?

Anyway...thanks a lot!!! More to follow.

[WiseOldOwl 7]

OK....Here's a bit of weirdness. I preheat the nozzle & 'Push to Extrude' material. The display shows a negative number after I move some material through the nozzle. (E.G. -76.30 mm). I am thinking everything is working OK. I go to do test print and the extruder is pulling material OUT of the nozzle, not pushing it in through the nozzle...

Am I to deduce that the extruder is running backwards, or ??? If it was running backwards, should it have extruded material out of the nozzle when I press the button to do so?

Scratching head...Going to swap wires and see...

Edited January 8, 2016 by Guest

[WiseOldOwl 7]

Yep...had it wired wrong!

Proper wiring for Bulldog XL to Ultimaker 2 stock wiring:

UM2 --------------------------- Bulldog XL

Black -------------------------- Brown

Green ------------------------- Red

Red ---------------------------- Yellow

Blue --------------------------- Blue

I'm doing first print with new setup now...It is looking 'Dee-licious'

[tinkergnome 927]

Maybe there is another location for these values than Configuration.h ?

 

The standard firmware uses the min/max values from Configuration.h only as the "Home" position, but all other coordinates (for buildplate leveling, heatup and pause) are fixed and hardcoded elsewhere.

That's quite annoying for users with modified hotends (like you...) - that's why i changed it recently for the tinker firmware. It's just an attempt to make it a bit smarter for all the tinkerers out there...  

 

The display shows a negative number after I move some material through the nozzle.

...

Am I to deduce that the extruder is running backwards, or ???

 

I think so...

There are already plans to make the stepper directions easy configurable, perhaps next months or so...?

For now: swapping the cables should be the easiest option. If this doesn't work, you can still compile a customized tinker version...

Edit: i'm too slow...

Edited January 8, 2016 by Guest

[WiseOldOwl 7]

I just published the Bulldog XL mount on YouMagine for others if they want to try it out:

https://www.youmagine.com/designs/bulldog-xl-mount-for-um2-ultimaker-2

FYI - I am using this mount for the E3D V6: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:992952 It is OK for now. I ordered a metal holder from China which should arrive later in the month. I will weigh it and see how it compares and if it is square in X&Y

EDIT: I am also too slow Thanks again for your brilliant work!

Edited January 8, 2016 by Guest

[Mrplay1234 0]

So how is the bulldog? Was it worth it?

An update would be great, as I am looking into extruders for my UM2

[Mrplay1234 0]

So how is the bulldog? Was it worth it?

An update would be great, as I am looking into extruders for my UM2

 

No problem.... I bite the bullet and got one... I am a happy bunny again...

Thanks too all that helped and sorted things out in the first place...

And thanks to Tinkergnome for his firmware of the UM2... It is great... so far...

Other than a few heated bed errors, not sure what is going on here, turned fans off and all seems fine....