New ultimaker v1 slanted print?

[lee 2]

I built the v1 today and it printed the robot fine... I've gone to print screwdriver holders in stop from thingiverse and the three images ive tried to print are ALL slanting towards the front. I'm not sure what to do as I'm completely stumped please help.

Thank you

Lee

[illuminarti 18]

Is it a gradual leaning - or are there some big jumps of a cm or more on some layers?

Most likely your pulleys for the y-axis are slipping. Check that they are all screwed down really tight - especially the ones on the short belt.

Use a permanent marker to mark the pulley and shaft together - that way you can see if the pulley is slipping on the shaft.

While you're at it, make sure that the short belts aren't catching on the frame - that can add extra friction and cause the steppers to skip some steps, also causing the same problem.

If not, it could be other things... but lets start with those.

 

[lee 2]

It is a gradual effect...

my my eye : it seems like its every layer moves over... ill add a photo one sec...

 

[lee 2]

this is sat on my print bed right now. (dont like the gammy tree sap looking stuff either.

 

[gr5 2,206]

This is very very common and easy to fix. Once you figure it out. Illuminarti mentions the top 2 things: pulley loose or belt touching frame (you can tell if it touches frame as it twists each time it changes direction).

There are 6 set screws to tighten on the 6 pulleys for the Y axis. Not 4. Six. Make sure you get them all. The two most likely are the 2 hardest to get to (on the short belt). Tighten the heck out of them.

Also the pulleys come with black set screws but with your kit you should have gotten shiny screws that work better. I still use my black ones but next time I have to tighten them I plan to change them out.

 

[lee 2]

ok doing it now.. ill let you know the results

thank you for your fast replies guys

 

[lee 2]

yup that was the problem... i didnt tighten the thing on y-motor... ill get used to the terminology lol...

can anyone recommend a GOOD replacement print head cooler, im not a fan of the folded plastic (pun intended)

 

[illuminarti 18]

The stock one doesn't get much love, but by all accounts works pretty well. When picking a replacement, make sure it's designed for the 'V2 Hotend' (which has been the standard for the past year or more). Also, you don't want anything that restricts the airflow too much - the fan design isn't well suited to deliver the pressure needed to force the air into a smaller outlet area.

I use this one: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:32491

 

[lee 2]

as an IT engineer I have a lot of redundant fans laying about in my workshop... would it be better to have a larger fan in there?

 

[illuminarti 18]

Maybe... but mostly you want to keep the moving weight on the head down, and not restrict the print volume by having something that can collide with the axes.

To get started with, the stock fan is fine... later you might consider mounting dual fans, or trying some of the things discussed here....

http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/2839-the-physics-of-cooling

 

[lee 2]

do i need any supports etc (which i have no clue about) to keep the ceiling part of that "afloat"

surely the printer cannot print in thin air?

 

[illuminarti 18]

Ceiling part of what? The fan duct? No, just print it as oriented on thingiverse, with the part the fan attaches to at the bottom. Print it fairly slow, and set a minimum layer time of 7 seconds so that the plastic on the sloping parts has time to cool between layers.

You can't print totally in thin air, but you can build up sloping surfaces that are 15º - 20º off horizontal with a little bit of care, and thin layers.

 

[gr5 2,206]

I recommend you stick with the folded plastic fan duct that comes with the UM. It works incredibly well. If you melt part of it then you can easily repair it with kapton tape.