3way z-motor levling - Does RepRapFirmware support/plan to support?
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Ok. Thanks! I'm in the design stage and only planned to use 2 motors. one on either side of the bed, but guess i'll add a third in the rear in order to make it automatic.
Is it not possible to upload images here, or am I just missing the how?
As you are at the design stage, I just thought that I would mention that I too had similar intentions when I built my printer. It has 3 screws and to start with, I used (am still using) a single motor and continuous belt with a view to upgrading to 3 motors as and when David gets around to doing the firmware. I was a bit concerned that a single motor wouldn't be man enough as my bed is big and heavy - about 7 Kg. Having built it, I've found that it works just fine with a single 2Amp Nema 17. Initial levelling was done by slackening the pulleys, rotating the screws and then tightening the pulley screws. I made one further adjustment after a few hours of use when everything had bedded in but have never needed to adjust the level since. So, I've scrapped my initial plan of using 3 motors with auto levelling. Of course it's your printer and entirely up to you how you build it but I just wanted to point out that the added complexity of 3 Z motors may not be necessary. HTH
Ian
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Ian
Can you tell me where you got your M8x1 Leadscrews mate I can't find any anywhere also what depth did you drill your Diamond hotend to take the PT100 sensor and how did you fasten it in there?
Doug
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Ian
Can you tell me where you got your M8x1 Leadscrews mate I can't find any anywhere also what depth did you drill your Diamond hotend to take the PT100 sensor and how did you fasten it in there?
Doug
Hi Doug.
Amazon is your friend https://www.amazon.co.uk/Length-1000mm-Copper-THSL-1000-8D-printer-x/dp/B019ML9576/ref=sr_1_184?ie=UTF8&qid=1483821751&sr=8-184&keywords=8mm+lead+screw. It's a seller called "CNC" and they came from China. If you don't want 1,000 mm length just put "8mm lead screw" into the search box on Amazon and you'll be greeted with 20 plus pages of screws with just about every combination of length, pitch and lead that you could think of.
Ref the hole for the PT 100, I can't remember the exact depth. It was basically as long as the drill bit. Somewhere around 40mm I'd guess. My silicone heater is 20mm smaller all round than the aluminium so 40mm gets me in the area that's being directly heated. I do remember it was a bit hair raising 'cos I couldn't be arsed to strip the bed down so I did it in situ by fitting the drill bit into a pin chuck and then fixing the pin chuck into my cordless drill. Keeping it parallel to the top without breaking through was a bit challenging but that's the sort of thing I do all the time in my day job:)
I didn't do anything special about holding it in. It's basically held in by the wires which are clipped close to the bed frame so it won't come up unless the wires break (in which case it ain't gonna work anyway). I guess a spot of epoxy or similar might work if you need a more secure fixing although that might make it a bugger to change.
HTH
Ian -
Ian I meant in the Diamond hotend mate not to worried by the bed.
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Ian I meant in the Diamond hotend mate not to worried by the bed.
Oh, sorry. I just put in the hole where the thermistor normally goes. I had to open the diameter out a bit with a larger drill but I didn't go any deeper than the original 10mm for fear of breaking through one of the other holes.
Edit. I didn't do anything special about holding it in - I put some heat shrink around the wires then a cable tie to the fan shroud.
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Cheers for that Ian I have found a smaller sensor on Farnells that may fit the Hole.
http://cpc.farnell.com/labfacility/dm-301/sensor-pt100-thin-film-2x2-3mm/dp/SN36364
Use some Arctic Silver thermal adhesive (Ceramic stuff) to glue it in and it should be good to go
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No worries Doug. For info, I used this one http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/platinum-resistance-temperature-sensors/8919148/?sra=pstk. Spec say it it is 2mm diameter but in reality it's about 2 mm x 0.8 mm and I still had to open the hole out a tad (to about 2.1mm IIRC).
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Yeah think I am going to open out the hole to take one of these http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/1005975/
Cheap enough to take a chance on and get some Thermal adhesive as well http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Arctic-Silver-ALUMINA-Thermal-Compound-Adhesive-artic-/370827463952?hash=item56570a0d10:g:Jl4AAOxyUrZS7QuO should be good to go then
Doug
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Yes I plan to support 2, 3 and 4 motor auto level. It probably won't make it into the 1.18 release, but may be in 1.19. You will still need a Z probe to use it.
Awesome! I'm going to pick up my Duetwifi and duex5 today.
Is this the best place to discuss this new feature? I have some ideas as I have been struggling a bit with repetier the last months.
I'm using optical slot switches for dual z max leveling and have a IR z-probe on my BigBox. The slot switches should be possible to use as both Z max and Z min at the same time if this would be of help. And ideally I should be able to move past the endstops with a offset limit.
A few photos: https://goo.gl/photos/kB3VHw3G3tvuGceCA
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Yes I plan to support 2, 3 and 4 motor auto level. It probably won't make it into the 1.18 release, but may be in 1.19. You will still need a Z probe to use it.
…...............I'm using optical slot switches for dual z max leveling.................
That's interesting. Are you say you have a separate switch for each screw or each side of the bed or have I misunderstood?
@DC42. David, is this something that would be possible i.e a separate end stop switch for each screw rather than using the probe? I only ask because I use 3DLac on my bed and it seems to affect the reflectivity so it'd be nice not to have to use a probe of any sort.
