Ultimaker 1(Original) Z plate not level

[thomas-roager 0]

Hello Folks.

Im About to assemble my Ultimaker 1, and i was wondering.

My z axis plate isn't that level, do i really need to compensate that on the leveling screws?

Its kinda leaning more to the right.

- T

 

[IRobertI 429]

I'm probably a bit blind but I can't quite figure out where you're measuring the tilt.

 

[thomas-roager 0]

on the middle of the z stage, on the laser cut parts.

 

[burki 1]

Your build plate should not be level (as compared to ocean level) but parallel to the axes your print head travels along.

So: If you print constant thicknesses throughout the print area, your leveling is as it should be, no matter at what angle it rests compared to sea level.

 

[thomas-roager 0]

i haven't even begun printing, I'm assembling all the parts right now, and yes i could just level the print bed. But i was just wondering if the plate wasn't level. rest of the printer is level. and the build plate doesn't look parallel to the axes.

 

[IRobertI 429]

As long as you can level it using the screws I wouldn't worry about it really. I know my plate had a dip in the front left corner so that I had to unscrew that particular screw quite a bit. But it has printed just fine for a couple of years in that state. So, as long as you can get the print bed level I'd just crank on with the build

 

[thomas-roager 0]

Hmm, i think ill have a look at the build plate later and maybe try and fix it, I'm kinda of a perfectionist :-P

 

[burki 1]

Right, i had not taken into consideration that you are still assembling. Sorry for that.

As soon as you have mounted your print head you can easily see if, using the levelling screws, you can or cannot adjust the build plate so that you get equal distances from the bed to the nozzle throughout the area.

If your build plate is not flat (i.e. bent, corrugated, twisted), you do in fact have a problem, but i guess you did not mean that?

Perfectionist is good, stick with that!

And much fun with your printer!

 

[gr5 964]

Nothing needs to be level. You can hang the printer by a rope to one corner upside down and it will print fine.

When we talk about "leveling" what we really mean is that as the nozzle is pushed around to the 4 corners it should be EXACTLY the same distance from the build plate - that acrylic flat piece. Well not "exactly" but .01mm would be nice which is 1/10 the width of a piece of paper.

Unfortunately wood warps over time (plus humidity affects it) so you have to level the UM Original quite often - maybe every few hours the first few weeks. Fortunately the heated bed upgrade has no wood parts (still in alpha test - hopefully it will be available within a few months).

 

[gr5 964]

Thomas please update what country you live in by going to your profile settings.

 

[thomas-roager 0]

gr5:

Well I'm used to the 3D printing world. i just had a Prusa i3, but decided to go the Ultimaker way.

And i know that i could hang it with a robe and it should still work.

But the problem i just had was that the build plate was not very level to the rest of the printer.

i sort of fixed it (still not satisfied). but i turned the build plate 180 degrees, that helped.

i think the wood is a little bend.

but ill definitely gonna ask sooner or later about leveling the nozzle to bed. Because on the i3 i had i couldn't get any good prints. because of nozzle height and x carriage wasn't linear.

Maybe ill develop another z build plate later on, but for now ill have to live with what i have.

Profile updated !

 

[thomas-roager 0]

Burki:

its okay

the wood is a little bend, so i think thats the problem.so yes the bearings would be parallel to the axis but the wood parts isn't.

 

[gr5 964]

But the problem i just had was that the build plate was not very level to the rest of the printer.

 

That is important but the wooden part is not important. One corner is maybe 5mm lower than the other 3 on my machine.

 

[thomas-roager 0]

Thats alot O.O?