How often do you recalibrate Z ?

[jonjude 0]

Hi - How often do other users calibrate their Z-axis zero-point ? I'm trying to

identify if the the gap between print head and plate surface on my Ultimaker increases too fast.

I know hardened material can "falsify" the 0 of the Z-axis, making the head position itself too far

away from the print surface :

Whats best to dissolve cold hard PLA off the nozzle to ensure it's clean ?

What have others tried to keep the Z-0 location opnce clibrated ?

How often do you need to recalibrate on your machine ?

Salutations,

JonJude

[joergen 1]

Hi - How often do other users calibrate their Z-axis zero-point ?

Often... wood undergoes environmental changes, i check it every day...

 

I know hardened material can "falsify" the 0 of the Z-axis, making the head position itself too far

away from the print surface: Whats best to dissolve cold hard PLA off the nozzle to ensure it's clean ?

nothing dissolves PLA, at least nothing that should be in your home... heat it up to 180C, and wipe it off while it's warm.

[gael 0]

Hi,

I use Dichloromethane to clean cold PLA. It's very efficient.

A cold nozzle with PLA inside gets clean as new after an overnight bath in this solvent.

I use this solvant to glue plastic parts together. I can be found at technical plastics suppliers or in places selling chemical products.

++

Gael

[magmotor 0]

nothing dissolves PLA, at least nothing that should be in your home... heat it up to 180C, and wipe it off while it's warm

Acetone dissolves PLA and is commonly found in any hardware store, Lowes or Home Depot and is fairly cheap. I dip a Q-tip in it and wipe all around & the nozzle. the PLA comes right off. You can blend out a bad area or even lines of a finished layer, if you want to take the time to do it. I use a small piece of tin foil and a multimeter to calculate Z before every print. Doesn't take long at all. If you see a nozzle impression on the blue tape your way too close. You can gently push down on the bed while it's printing the first layer and observe any changes in the flow. You can adjust the bed even while its printing and observe. A cpl times of adjusting and you'll have it down to an easy routine....have fun..!

[joergen 1]

Acetone dissolves PLA and is commonly found in any hardware store, Lowes or Home Depot and is fairly cheap. I dip a Q-tip in it and wipe all around & the nozzle. the PLA comes right off. You can blend out a bad area or even lines of a finished layer, if you want to take the time to do it.

Yes, you are correct, I never tried PLA and acetone, I just knew about ABS and acetone... thanks, learned something new

[gael 0]

Hello all,

I tried acetone before to switch to Dichloromethane.

Acetone softens very efficiently PLA. It helps a lot to clean parts (nozzle...) but you still have to scrub it to remove the plastic.

Dichloromethane completely dissolves the plastic.

It's Acetone is handy to find and requires less handling precautions....

++

Gaël