3dSolex Installation Support

[carsten 36]

Hello,

i´d like to buy the 3dSolex kit, but i´m not a pro user.

Are there any instructions or tips, how to adjust the bedlevel after installing a new nozzle and what parameter have to be adjusted in Cura?

And are there any other things that one should know?

I know that some of you already have this kit and i would like to hear what your experience is like.

Thanks in advance,

Carsten

[gr5 2,167]

Different people have different uses for the block. For me it's about being able to change nozzle sizes quickly and potentially being able to clean out a nozzle quickly (although that's never been a problem on my UM2s).

I have only used the .4mm nozzle on it so far - I'm just so busy! Printing right now with 3 printers at once (e-nable hands). But the .6 and .8mm nozzle prints very very fast. I should know - I've used larger nozzles in the past. I'm looking forward to printing really small things with the smaller nozzle on a um2go but haven't installed the olsson block yet on um2go. Soon!

[gr5 2,167]

Leveling procedure doesn't change with olsson.  You just have to re-level when you change nozzles because they are different heights and level when you install the olsson block.

For rough leveling I use the built-in procedure and use paper if on blue-tape and if on glass I just do it visually - make the nozzle touch the glass and then back off the tiniest possible amount such that it isn't touching visually.  Maybe 1/8 turn (45 degrees) back on the screws after it touches.  This works very well for a first pass and is good enough for 90% of prints.  Then once it starts printing I look at the brim or skirt and adjust all 3 equally - if plastic "bead" is too round (not flatened like a pancake) then I move glass closer 1/8 or 1/4 turn at a time.  If it is so thin it's transparent I move the glass farther from the nozzle (tighten screws).  1/4 turn at a time.  

Usually all 3 screws unless only one spot is bad.

Do this at the start of each print and you will have it dialled in perfect and your machine will keep its level for months or until you change nozzles.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Guest

[DidierKlein 729]

I have it for several weeks now and i'm very happy with it. I print a lot with the .8mm nozzle it's very fast indeed

For installation you can watch this video (also on the website: 3dsolex.com)

 

Some user report breaking the PT100 temp sensor, not always but it can happen (sometimes it's really stuck).

Once installed you have to relevel the bed (because it's slightly lower than the stock one. Just use the bed level wizard as usual nothing special here.

In Cura, you just have to change the nozzle size according to the one you have for printing. Pay attention to this parameter, slicing for a .4mm nozzle and printing with .8mm nozzle will not work.

[carsten 36]

Thank you for answering gr5 and DidierKlein!

Your comments will help me to get the 3dSolex to work.

Do you have some information regarding a 0.25 nozzle?

Like at what speed and layerthickness this should be used?

I´d like to print some small and very detailed parts with that nozzle.

Thanks again for your help!

[swordriff 119]

Hi carsten!

Thank you for your interest and your post!

First thing to remember is that this is not an official upgrade.

It means, you can not run to UM support should you break something.

There is a chance that you will not be able to get the temp sensor out without breaking it, this is due to a manufacturing glitch in the sensor cartridge, making it too large by 10-20 microns in diameter.

During assembly they are therefore sometimes pressed in, and impossible to get out.

It requires a new temp sensor, and you can not press UM support about a free one, sorry.

Very important what @gr5 and @DidierKlein point out, re-level bed.

IF YOU DO NOT RE-LEVEL BED the first time you use the Olsson Block, you will have a head crash and may break the glass. Second time it is not so important unless you re-levelled after grinding down a nozzle with "crazy" material, making that nozzle shorter, yes?

The designer of the block, Mr Anders Olsson, is printing neutron traps with a material which eats nozzles in hours. Some prints he can not even finish without ruining the nozzle (he now uses also steel nozzles and is designing hard nozzles of a completely different hardness than brass/steel).

You ask about layer height for 0.25 nozzle. : My impression is that people frequently use too low layer height. @meduza  is getting away with it, but my own most successful prints have higher layers.

0.25 is more difficult, and it can be fiddly to get the first layer stick. I have printed he first layer with a larger nozzle, and then changed nozzle during print, in "pause".

Then I adjust material flow to compensate for the different nozzle sizes.

Layer height recommended first print 025 is  0.15 or 0.1.

After first layer ( no fan, slow speed) you can increase speed very high with this little nozzle, easily 150 or 200 % (multiplier of 50mm/s standard cura setting).

@labern has the most fantastic prints I have seen, using 0.25 jet.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Guest

[gr5 2,167]

I haven't tried .25 nozzle yet but keep in mind that objects will print 2.6X slower because you have to squeeze plastic thorugh 2.6X smaller area hole (.4/.25)^2 = 2.56.

So for example if you normally print .4mm nozzle .1 layer 70mm/sec at 220C (max recommended speed at this layer height and temp) then for .25mm nozzle, .1 layer you will probably be printing at 45mm/sec max and your traces are thinner so you have to do more passes to get the same shell width and it works out to about 2.6X longer to do the print.

Also Cura recommends staying below 2/3 of the nozzle diameter so .16mm layer height should be around your max layer height. .05mm will hopefully work better! Plus you can print quite fast at .05mm layer height: 90mm/sec (but I'd keep it at 30mm/sec for max quality and I'd print cool like 190C).

But again - I've never done it - just extrapolating based on what I know. There's probably other factors I haven't considered.

[swordriff 119]

Hehe.. @gr5:

If you adjust lets say 0.05 layer, and one corner is a little "off", you have problems.

This why I recomment a large-ish gap in the beginning for the 025 nozzle.

The tiny nozzle gives time to heat all the filament, so you cna actually print quite fast.

And as you say, start slowly. Then work it up with speed and temperature.

[Labern 774]

I generally use o.1 bottom layer and 0.04 layer height. 0.02 if there are no overhangs or sticky outy bits.

If its a small part then you can go really low on the initial layer as bed leveling is not so important.

@carsten

You may not be a Pro user, neither am I and there are a lot more skilled people then me but unless you have someone very good to teach you then i would just recommend just giving it a go.

If you want to print small detailed prints then stick to the 0.25mm nozzle and practice printing until you find what works. Everyone's setup is slightly different so what might work for me may not be best for you and it does really come down to the part your trying to print. I have printed a lot of tiny parts and i spend a lot of time in layer view adjusting all the settings so it will come out right.

[pixl2 33]

Hello everybody

I have assembled the 3dSolex kit, it was very simple and i could already start some prints.

However, now i have the following error message.

What can I do here?

@gr5

To your question in the German forum:

At the moment i use the 3dSolex kit, everything else is still original.

And thank you for your Google Translation ;-)

Edited May 8, 2015 by Guest

[rigs 735]

first layer : fan 0 %

second layer : 10 %

third layer : 20 %

etc...

[pixl2 33]

Ok thank you, i will try it in a few minutes.

[gothampixel 10]

It might be that the fan is cooling the block too quickly. Watch the temp as the fan kicks in to see if the temp drops very quickly.

[gr5 2,167]

I just posted a 10 minute 50 line response. It didn't post! Damn it!

Here are only 2 of the 6 items in my post:

Make damn sure olsson block is not touching metal fan shroud. Slide print head to the front of the machine, look from behind and slide paper under it to be sure it is not touching. If touching raise the nozzle up higher with the round nut with holes.

Check your firmware version. Here are some notes about "heater error":

heater error

You get an error if the heater can't move a certain amount in a certain time while driving full power (when it is close to goal temp it typically runs well below full power):

Firmware

Version

14.09 - does not have the feature

14.12 oct 16, 2014 - feature introduced. 20C in 20 Seconds

14.12.1 dec 15, 2014 - from 20C to 10C (still in 20 seconds)

15.01 jan 14, 2015 - from 20 secs to 30 secs (now 10C in 30 seconds)

[swordriff 119]

@rigs:

first layer : fan 0 %

second layer : 10 %

third layer : 20 %

This is the right answer.

The Olsson Block has a higher mass and higher "fan-footprint", with the nozzle.

It is therefore more sensitive to fan suddenly on, and big temperature changes.

Sorry.

[rigs 735]

@rigs:  

first layer : fan 0 %

second layer : 10 %

third layer : 20 %

This is the right answer.

The Olsson Block has a higher mass and higher "fan-footprint", with the nozzle.

It is therefore more sensitive to fan suddenly on, and big temperature changes.

Sorry.

I'm flattered

[carsten 36]

So much usefull information!

@pixl2 thats exactly why i asked for things one should know...

I would not have found a solution for that by myself!

Thanks again for posting, guys!

[carsten 36]

I got my 3dSolex today and i must be a lucky guy, since there was no problem to get the steelcoupler and the temp sensor out!

To be honest, it was so easy, that i think i missed something...

Up to now i´m printing with the 0.4 Nozzle and it looks good.

The only thing thats new, is a vibrating noise, when the printer retracts.

I´ll test the other nozzles, soon.

[Labern 774]

that's great. gland its going well for you and you didn't have any problems installing it. will be good to see some cool prints that you come up with.

[pixl2 33]

@carsten

"I" (with the forum support) have found the solution...

1. change the heater (so i have no differents of "°C" from +/-10°C) (hope you know what i mean)

2. and than --> installing o.b.

3. print like @rigs post...

Edit:

My new heater was from 3dSolex (25W) and it works (better than before)

Edited May 12, 2015 by Guest

[pixl2 33]

Next question :

Have everyone tested the nozzle of heart and kidney?? What ist your best setting?

(Nozzle 0.25 / 0.4 / 0.6 / 0.8)

Nozzle:

Layer:

Temp:

Speed:

PLA/ABS:

Optional:

Infill

Ect.

Thx for your test-result and sorry about my english knowledge

(www.3dsolex.com says 0.8 nozzle / 0.4 layer / 220-225°C / 60mm/s and the rest of settings ??

Edited May 12, 2015 by Guest

[yellowshark 153]

I suspect you guys would find it easier to use a z-offset in your startup code if you are regularly changing nozzles. I use .4 and a .8 and have a z-offset for both. When I change the nozzle I just go into Cura and change the z-offset - job done:)

[DidierKlein 729]

On my UM2 i don't relevel the bed when changing from .4 to .8 maybe because it's calibrated perfectly

You don't have an Ultimaker if i recall well

For the question about print settings, personnaly i don't change much to the regular settings for the .4 nozzle. Usually all i change is the nozzle size in Cura (obviously) and for the bigger nozzles is usually go for bigger layers (.2 to .3mm) i will try .4 or .5 to see how the UM2 handles that.

I also now have a 1mm nozzle that i'm eager to try with big fat layers, i will post a subject on that when i have tested it.

What you need to pay attention too is the extrusion capability of your printer, and tweak temperature and speed accordingly

[swordriff 119]

Where in Cura can I change the Z offset..?

[yellowshark 153]

Hi Carl,

My name is Pete.

First the simple part.

The z-offset command is e.g. G92 Z209.13 ; set z_offset

I will talk about the Z value in a minute. You put the command into the Cura start-up gcode. You will find this on the main tabs, under the start/end G-Code tab and the first section, start.gcode.

 

If you select this you will see the Cura start gcode – please note do not just copy this gcode from my message!! It has been modified in places and I have a 3ntr printer not a UM. You will see my z-offset highlighted in bold.

;Basic settings: Layer height: {layer_height} Walls: {wall_thickness} Fill: {fill_density}

;Print time: {print_time}

;Filament used: {filament_amount}m {filament_weight}g

;Filament cost: {filament_cost}

G21 ;metric values

M190 S{print_bed_temperature} ;Uncomment to add your own bed temperature line

M109 S{print_temperature} ;Uncomment to add your own temperature line

G90 ;absolute positioning

M107 ;start with the fan off

G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops

G28 Z0 ;move Z to min endstops

G1 X1 Y25 F12000 ; go to wipe station

G1 Y1 F6000 ;

G1 Y15 F6000 ; wipe

G1 Y1 F6000 ;

G92 Z209.13 ; set z_offset

;G1 Z15.0 F{travel_speed} ;move the platform down 15mm

G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length

G1 F200 E2 ;extrude 3mm of feed stock

G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length again

G1 F{travel_speed}

;Put printing message on LCD screen

M117 Printing...

OK, some background. I print with a glass plate on my print bed. The depth of the plate is 7.04mm. When I level my bed and set the bed to nozzle distance, I do this without the glass bed in place. I use the traditional paper method with a piece of card 1.5mm depth. Personally I adjust the screws so there is quite a bit of friction when pulling out the paper/card. I can just feel this better rather than having slight friction. So I guess the bed to nozzle distance is a little bit less than 1.5mm after adjustment.

On the Cura menu, under machine\machine settings I have the maximum height of the printer set to 216. So

216 -7.04 = 208.96

209.13(ACTUAL Cura setting) – 208.96 = .17

I have subsequently moved the bed 0.17mm nearer to the nozzle during fine tuning. For fine tuning I change the z-offset by 0.04mm and see if I get a better result and keep on changing it, both ways, until I reach the optimum distance. Probably easier than it sounds, it is quite a fast process.

I hope this helps – get back to me if you are stuck!!