Reaching into build area during printing from the Noobverse

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I know most of what this will say is just a lot of "Well, yeah...don't do that!" type of common sense, but it does merit at least a post of what NOT to do.

And geared to the extreme noobs like me (I see a lot of "I just got my UM3" type of threads) and also for people like myself....just noobishness in general.

When printing, do not stick your hand in to pull off a blemish or anything while it is running. It takes nothing at all to throw out the alignment. If you just have to reach in to do something, hit pause and then remove said blemish/string/whatever.

I have tried to do it a few times, being impatient or thinking I am faster than the print head, and it ruins a print. Once the print is restarted, it seems to realign itself on the 'homing beacon', for lack of a better term and works fine.

I got up this morning to check a print and thought I would just pull off a blob real quick.....bad idea. I knew it was messed up when it immediately started to not go to the switching station to lower/raise the nozzle properly and printed in the air.

Like I said, it ruins your print, but will realign (so far) when you abort and it finds the homing area. But wow...a lot of hours wasted because I got impatient. >_<. Don't be me

Duhhhhhhhhh.........

[cloakfiend 995]

My hand practically lives within the print area. I guess it depends on how rough you are though. I often dont use infill and sometimes push tissue into the model so it can print over it. I admit im not always succesful but better than pausing or stopping a print in my personal opinion. Thats something I would ever do if i was after perfect shell quality.

Any pause or stop in the layering process will cause a visible line. Now if you are printing low res then fine you might not see it. But if you print 0.06 or higher this is a no no.

Just dont be rough and youll be fine.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

My problem is that the print head collides with my hands. I think it is a speed issue with me. Usually though, I try to do the reaching or pausing when it's between nozzle changes and not on the print, but I still get nailed a few times and it kills the print.

Remember that I am an old clumsy person and that makes a difference too. LOL

Edited March 28, 2017 by Guest

[cloakfiend 995]

Fair enough, I guess you dont want it bumping into your hands if you cant get them out in time. And If you want a real good print then, true, it is best not to interfere (I try my best not to!).

The less you bother the printer mid print, the less chance of error!

you could always try printing slower or getting some long pincers to grab bits and bobs if you want. I tend to know Ive done good on my part, and hope the printer does good on its part. 9 times out of 10 its all good, even if it goes wrong!

I usually print 35mm or 50, so not too fast. but my result are good in my opinion.

And yes I agree, remove all the bits and bobs that might stick out here and there after not during, you dont need to babysit these printers after they have been started off well. They always look worse than they are, anyways.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Guest

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I second the 'not baby sitting' the machines. My goal is to be able to set it to work while I do other things.

But, as a visitor from the noobverse, I get mesmerized by watching these things 'grow' layer by layer sometimes. Sorta reminds me of when I started doing my own 3D imagery using POV Ray almost 30 years ago. I would literally sit and watch it slowly draw line by line, surprising me that I had made the computer do that and it just happened.

[cloakfiend 995]

Watching these things print reminds me of watching mp3s download during the dial up days!

Edited March 31, 2017 by Guest

[kmanstudios 1,120]

Watching these things print reminds me of watching mp3s download during the dial up days!

 

I can get that, but were you mesmerized? I know I still am. Part of it also seeing the programming that underlies everything. The way the software 'solves' everything amazes me. I can program, but not at this level. There is real ingenuity in the solutions I am seeing.