exxos blog - random goings on

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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

PhilC wrote: Sat Feb 12, 2022 9:25 am @exxos time to throw it out the window yet?
Working fine again now. One module at least must have been faulty from new. Once I removed the modules the eeprom write fail went away. Also the extruder motor has ample power with a new module now. I think 2 modules were faulty from new. Just worked enough to print but were slowly killing the board until it died.
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

I was thinking about the bed last night. Another problem is the bed is only fixed at the back, so the front of the bed is basically a lever and can wobble a few mm which by why my X-axis isn't very good on the prints.

I am half plotting on fixing some roller bearing rods in the front corners of the printer then running a bar between the 2, which I can fix the front of the bed to. Problem is it would likely need the threaded bar as well to drive it. Which would need 2 belts to drive the new bars. Or drive the bars from 2 other stepper motors which the current motor is some oddball flashforge special I think :roll:

In theory I could just mount a single bar in the front center of the bed. But the problem is the print head needs to physically move over the edge if the bed to make full use of the print area. So then would have to be fixed a few inches away from the bed so there is still room for the head to move fully over the area.

Not sure if anyone has seen a similar method on any printers out there already ? The bed only being fixed at the back just doesn't work, its also somewhat compounded by the case being plastic, there is a very slight flex in the bottom which isn't helping the Z-axis either.
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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
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DoG
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by DoG »

Didn't want to start a new topic so thought I could write in your blog instead. Anyways... I was browsing for some ST hardware and the EEPROM caught my eyes. They aren't actually 10ns right? Should be 100ns? Otherwise I'm getting them right now!!! :shock: :D
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

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DoG wrote: Mon Feb 14, 2022 6:18 pm Didn't want to start a new topic so thought I could write in your blog instead. Anyways... I was browsing for some ST hardware and the EEPROM caught my eyes. They aren't actually 10ns right? Should be 100ns? Otherwise I'm getting them tight now!!! :shock: :D
Opps, should have been -10 I guess.. Thanks letting me know I will go and change that now!
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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

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Been printing with the flashforge printer today. I've noticed (again) how bad that design of printer is. I'm talking abnout the bed being on fixed at the rear.

First problem is when you get a blob on the print for whatever reason. The head hits it and shakes the whole bed. Which then causes "ringing" on a few cm of the line its doing. Next pass, the same thing happens, but now the ringing is causing more ringing. Things just progress slowly every layer until the printer tries to destroy itself.

Second issue is when it draws a perimeter and then fills up to it, the print head actually hits the outer wall while its extruding. There is only 2% overlap, but no matter what I do, its just unavoidable. Problem is as it hits the wall, its forcing the bed to twist several mm which causes ringing. Things progress each later until the printer tries to destroy itself.

Overall, print beds which are fixed at the back only are just a dumb idea. It would need some serious tight tollerences to work. As the bed is basically a lever, a tiny fraction of a mm play results in a order of magnitude of play at the front of the bed. For me, it is compounded by the plastic case :roll: while it looks pretty solid, it isn't. All the tiny flexes add up.

If it wasn't for the crappy bed mechanism it wouldn't be a bad printer how I have it now. But its got to the point where modding it anymore is just not worth it. I've got some good results so far but I might have to finally admit defeat. :cry:

So I will see if I can get the new linear rails on the bed on the BIQU next. Overall I've had it printing really well now. But the bed suffers not being secure like the FF. But when the rails are on its going to be solid, then hopefully the wimpy motor can still driven the axis :lol: then I'll probably end up changing the motherboard because it won't drive the larger motor :lol:
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

Firstly this wimpy POS is gone.

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Looking at the bed the holes are not even drilled correctly and they even made two of the holes bigger assumingly as they are in the wrong place. What a total bodge job! no wonder the thing was never accurate.

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Marking the proper locations for the new holes.

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Getting there ! Got three new crossmembers bolted down to mount the new rails on! Now need to print out a small block spacer for the belt coupler as the bed is now sitting about 12mm higher up than it was before .

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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

Getting closer! Had to print a spacer block on the flash forge to bodge the belt to the bed as its higher up now.

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So will it still move... Place your bets.... :lol:
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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

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So it got more annoying :roll: The bed actually moved when manually using the menu stuff. When homing or trying to calibrate the bed it would just go BRRRRRRRR and not move. I have no idea why. So decided to fit a larger motor...

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Oddly to be generic NEMA17 so I don't know why it says 0.9deg on there.. Something amiss!

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Finally got it all back together and the fu**ing end cap off the belt came off! :pullhair: :cussing:

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So now I am printing a rehash of my X-belt coupler so I can mount it on the bottom of the bed for the Y-axis.

But honestly is anything more than "barely adequate" with anything these days :roll: I don't think I can think of anything where I have ever thought "wow this is made well". I guess it is why so much stuff simply does not work or fails so often these days :roll:
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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

Finally my wait for Kicad 6 is here.. BUT.

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FFS! Even the 32bit install wants windoze 8. :cussing: :cussing: :cussing:
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by stephen_usher »

Windows 7 hasn't been supported for years and is now a security nightmare. Do the free upgrade to Windows 10.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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