Prints starting to high?

[auzzyboy 0]

All my offsets are default/0, printer is up to date with the latest firmware, in cura the object or part is sitting on the bed at z0 however when i start a print the line down the side of the bed looks fine but when it comes to print the actual model itself the nozzle sits about 4mm to high?  Know why this may be happening?  I'm struggling to get anything printed and its driving me crazy☹️

Edited December 14, 2021 by auzzyboy

[gr5 2,172]

This sounds really familiar.  Is this for a Creality printer?  maybe @GregValiant knows the answer.

 

Actually you should post the project.  In cura do "file" "save as project" and post that file.  It will contain the model and how you positioned the model and so on.  Maybe the bottom 4mm of the model has walls too thin to print or maybe you have the "insert gcode at layer" plugin enabled or something else.  There are too many things to check and it's easier if you just post the project file.

 

That will also tell us what kind of printer you sliced for.

 

[auzzyboy 0]

15 minutes ago, gr5 said:

Yes it is an Ender 3 Max.  Not sure if this file is the one needed?  I saved as you mentioned but it opens in windows 3d printer on my computer

 

CE3MAX_TopDrawer.3mf

Edited December 14, 2021 by auzzyboy

[auzzyboy 0]

CE3MAX_TopDrawer.gcode

[auzzyboy 0]

Here are pics of what is happening.. I have noticed also that after a print or after aborting a print it homes to Z3.  Is this normal?

[gr5 2,172]

I was unable to open that 3mf file in Cura 4.12.1.  Did you use a newer version of Cura than that?  Are you sure you did "save profile"?  Or did you do "save model"??  I need the entire profile.

[gr5 2,172]

@GregValiant - I need you.  This seems so so familiar...

 

[gr5 2,172]

Your gcode looks fine by the way.  It prints the first layer at z=0.1mm

 

So it's something on the printer and I kind of vaguely think I know what it is.  Some setting on the printer.  But I'm getting old and can't quite remember.

 

Do you have autolevel?  Maybe turn that off to see what happens and level manually?  I know it prints the first line correctly but still.  Lots of things are happening at the start of the print.

 

 

 

 

[GregValiant 1,251]

Hi @gr5 I'm staring at it and not getting anywhere either.

@auzzyboy,

Looking at the Gcode file -  the print starts with an Initial Layer Height of 0.1.  It steps up 0.2mm/layer and the last layer prints at Z=12.9.  When the print finishes your end gcode is standard Creality.  The Z moves up 0.2mm (to 13.1), then the head moves away from the print, and then the Z goes up another 10 (to the final Z height of 23.1).  The End Gcode finishes with a G90 properly setting the printer back to absolute positioning mode.

So there isn't anything in the gcode telling the printer to go anywhere odd.  This would print on my Ender 3 Pro if I adjusted the temperatures down for PLA.

 

Do you happen to be using Octoprint (or anything else) between the gcode file and the printer?

 

I got the 3mf file to open in 4.12.1 but it's the model only so I can't see your printer or settings.  The command is "File | Save Project" (the Export command also creates a 3mf file but it's a regular model file rather than the full project file).

 

I sliced the model using my profile.  I left the skirt and threw out the model itself so if you print the Gcode, the skirt will go down and then the print will end.  It's just a test to check movement.  The Initial Layer Height is .30 for the purge lines, then 0.2 for the skirt, then up .2 and then 10 for a final Z =  10.4.

 

 

 

GV Quick.gcode

Edited December 14, 2021 by GregValiant

[gr5 2,172]

OCTOPRINT!  That's what I was thinking about!  There was some octoprint settings that was messing people up. 

 

Oh - but that was the "timelapse" feature.  This is something different.  So nevermind.

 

Yeah the gcode looks fine.  Something with your printer.

 

Maybe slice with a different slicer that works and look at the begining and remove/change gcodes until you figure out exactly what the problem is.

 

My guess is something to do with bed leveling or compensation.  Do you have multipoint bed compensation turned on?  Try turning that off!

[auzzyboy 0]

Thanks for the responses guys! I don't run the octoprint or anything else.  I'm fairly new to 3d printing and only received my Ender 3 last week.  Everything has been left standard on the default settings.  I have just run the Gcode provided and exactly the same results? So their must be an issue on the printer somewhere?

I don't run the bed leveller I simply did it manually and as for other bed settings i cant seem to find anything usefull?

 

It wouldn't be something as simple as the Z offsets would it I would have thought they would have calibrated before shipping? I haven't altered them in anyway but the nozzle looks about 5mm to high thou so I'm unsure whether that could be it.

[auzzyboy 0]

Would the Z offset apply to the purge line?  Or is that read separately in the Gcode?  I don't want to attempt to change the offset and then start a print only to have the nozzle go into the bed when purging.

Edited December 14, 2021 by auzzyboy

[GregValiant 1,251]

"I would have thought they would have calibrated before shipping?"

 

Wow...you are new at this.

Creality does nothing with the machines before shipping.  Half the time they aren't even aligned mechanically.

Did you happen to try printing that Gcode file I posted?  It just prints a skirt for your box and then ends.

 

Gr5 and I both went over the gcode.  It's fine.  I think he and I are in agreement that there is something within the printer that is causing it to miss the Z height.  The fact that the purge lines are going down OK means that something between the last purge line and the start of the skirt is causing a problem.

 

There is a command that will set your printer mainboard back to factory defaults.  It can't hurt to try that, but I suggest you print that Gcode file first and let us know what happens.  It has my start and end gcode and I know it works.

[auzzyboy 0]

9 minutes ago, GregValiant said:

"I suggest you print that Gcode file first and let us know what happens."

Yes I did try this and the results are the same?  I I will a factory reset and see what the outcome is? I have also sent an email to Creality in the hope they mite get back to me.

Edited December 14, 2021 by auzzyboy

[auzzyboy 0]

I have just reset the EEPROM.  Nothing changed it still tries to pint to high.. Strange

[GregValiant 1,251]

After you Auto-Home the printer from the LCD - What does the LCD say for the XY and Z locations?

 

If you use the LCD and move the nozzle to Z=5 is it 5mm above the build surface?

[auzzyboy 0]

13 minutes ago, GregValiant said:

"After you Auto-Home the printer from the LCD - What does the LCD say for the XY and Z locations?

 

If you use the LCD and move the nozzle to Z=5 is it 5mm above the build surface?"

The XYZ all read 0.  And yes when i move the Z 5mm it moves up 5mm above the bed.  I cant understand what is happening between that and the time it starts to print the object/model

[GregValiant 1,251]

Does your printer have an Auto Bed Leveler?  I'm wondering if since there is no command calling it (G29 or M425) that maybe the firmware is expecting to auto-level and that's why it's stuck on stupid.  Since Creality broke away from mainstream Marlin their firmware basically sucks.

[auzzyboy 0]

No auto bed leveller.  I don't run a BL touch or anything like that

[GregValiant 1,251]

I'm down to my last 2 ideas.  After this I think it's between you and Creality.

1.  If your Z stop switch is like mine then there are two small philips head screws that hold it to the circuit board.  Take the Z switch off and the Y switch off and swap them.  If the problem moves to the Y axis then it's the switch.

2.  I know you said you reset the EEPROM but one more try can't hurt.  Open that gcode file I posted earlier in a text editor like MS Notepad.  Right now there are two lines like this:

G92 E0 ; Reset
G28 ; Home all axes

Alter the code like this:

G92 E0

M502  ;factory reset

G4 S10 ;pause for 10 seconds

G28

Print the file again.  

[gr5 2,172]

Another theory I just came up with:  maybe the nozzle is hitting the bed hard and the Z stepper is skipping some steps.  If that is happening it would make a pretty loud (but very brief) noise when the nozzle hits the bed at the start of the print.

 

Maybe video the first few seconds of printing when things start moving.

[auzzyboy 0]

Nooe it's a complete failure.  I feel as though I have tried everything and the issue won't go away.  I have been in touch with creality and discussed things with them, they have sent me files to print, asked me to send them photos and videos and still no conclusion.  So iam going to try and return the machine as I think it's faulty.

I think for a repalcment I will definitely be going with something else as I have no faith in the ender products, this has put me off big time.  Mabye an artillery? I havnt done my research yet.  Any advise on alternative printers would be great.

Thanks for all your help guys. I appreciate it.

Edited December 16, 2021 by auzzyboy

[GregValiant 1,251]

I've been looking for a printer for my son.  I'm undecided on which one but it won't be a Creality machine because of the firmware issues and what I perceive to be a general lack of business ethics including their warranty policies.  I'm OK with my Ender 3 Pro but it took a long time (and a lot of head scratching) to get it right.

 

One of the downsides of spending time here is we tend to see all the problems.  Nobody comes in (or at least rarely) saying "Hurrah for my printer".  It's mostly "What the #$%@ is going on with this stupid machine???".  I'm not complaining because I've learned a lot listening and doing my little detective work chasing complaints and trying to figure out what's really going on.

 

I haven't heard much lately about the Artillery machines.  Anycubic comes up once in a while.  Geeetech is another name that comes up.  I have a better handle on which ones to stay away from (but I won't put that list up here and they tend to be the smaller machines anyway).

 

Cura supports over 300 different printers.  Going through the "resources\definitions" folder and just perusing the file names would give you a list of manufacturers and models to search for and check out.  Good luck with it.  I wish gr5 and I could have been more help and come up with a solution for you.

[Torgeir 242]

You guys really tried, -but sometimes nothing work or seems to be right, -keep up the good work.

 

All the best.

 

Cheers

 

Torgeir

[GregValiant 1,251]

Hi Torgeir.

I'm starting to wonder if they loaded the wrong firmware onto that mainboard.  Something like that would cause the problem.  If it was a bad Z driver it would be more random rather than always happening right after the purge lines like it does.  My current theory is that it's a mainboard problem though because you are right...we've pretty much beat everything else to death.