3dstuffmaker.com - opinions?

Quote
mikefiatx19
Thanks S10blazed,
You are awesome. Thanks for the PM.
I will flash the unit and report back once i have the full set of arduino files. Sorry i was mistaken when i only asked for the config.h file, i assumed it would be part of a batch of files along with the other arduino setup files. A newbie mistake.
Regards
Mike

Well the config.h is the only thing that is changed on the 3DSM from default Marlin as far as I know. You would get the rest of the files as stock Marlin download. When I get a minute I'll zip up my folder and PM you. It might not be the most up to date version if there has been one released within the last month or 2.

Wow, so many issues! I've read the thread front to back entirely.

I just ordered the Prusa Mega since it was on sale for $590 something + $120 TNT shipping.

Luckily, I used PayPal, if it comes unusable I'll have it returned/refunded via PayPal.

Before I cancel the order, is the hardware salvageable by replacing the electronics with RepRap boards?

Thanks! Caesar.

I've gone ahead and cancelled it. Going to look at RepRap kits, thinking of LulBotz ...

Attached 3dstuffmaker configuration.h and configuraturiong_adv.h.
I used firmware from mendel-parts download link arduino. Though pain was in sorting out eclipse/arduino on ubuntu.

ARGH!!!!!!
Uploaded the file and it turns out it is the stepper motor thats blown. There was a bad connection of the stepper motor wire and i never noticed. This probably killed the driver. And as the board is a gen6 I am royally screwed.
Oh well, new mother board is needed.
Thanks for all the support guys.
Mike

Quote
mikefiatx19
ARGH!!!!!!
Uploaded the file and it turns out it is the stepper motor thats blown. There was a bad connection of the stepper motor wire and i never noticed. This probably killed the driver. And as the board is a gen6 I am royally screwed.
Oh well, new mother board is needed.
Thanks for all the support guys.
Mike

I just got one of these: [www.ebay.com]

Its like 98% compatible. It didn't have heat sinks on the stepper drivers and the pin connectors are a different configuration. But its a much newer design than the 4+ year old version that came with my 3DSM. I've almost got it running after a handful of other changes.

Although now I kind of wish I had just gone with a printrboard or RAMPs, but I was sick of changing out stuff on this printer already.

I have just about destroyed all my stepper connections,
My printer has been heavily used, serviced often, all my connectors are black!

next time your printer is not moving the steppers correctly, double check the connectors.
they skimp out on that to

I already have the ramps board here so theres no going back to gen 6. I have rewired up the motors with new connectors and am replacing the optos with microswitches. Hopefully i can print soon.
Thanks for all the help guys and i will keep you updated on the progress.
Regards
Mike

Well guys, i got my first print off the new ramps board setup and it's ugly as hell. Just need to calibrate now until it looks good. Thanks for all the help. I will keep you posted.

I bought their Prusa Kit. While it's not perfect with just the book and a few hours (about 6) I got everything assembled. My thoughts on the company; They really need to work on their customer feedback, They took my money then silence for a week Then a we have shipped your order e-mail. The turn around time wasn't bad but it's always nerve wracking when a company doesn't send a Thank you for choosing us email.

The printer kit when it arrived was well packaged and well documented. I spent a couple nights reading through the instructions. Then started building. The parts were color coded and well tested. It is too bad what the color code *is*, it’s not mentioned anywhere in their build instructions. This caused some confusion and led to me installing the X and Z end stop sensors backwards. My first snafu was when I turned the final page of the bottom assembly and oh hey there are measurements here..why they put them at the end and not at each step I do not know. But those were the only measurements I found in the instructions none for the middle assembly and none for the top. The other lack in the instructions is how to mount the electronics to the acrylic frame plate and how to mount that to the printer.

It took me a couple of days to work out all the calibration issues with the printer See above under no measurements. I think I have everything set correctly as the prints don't look like a jumble of filament strands anymore.

Things I would improve, A paper template or two showing you where all the frame hardware should be, The parts with 3mm nuts should have a socket to slip them into eliminating the need for a 3mm wrench, Description of what the test prints are for, either a spool holder or as one of the test prints a spool holder, and a heated bedplate.

This was/is a learning machine to teach me how 3D printing works. So far it has done it's job.

Mike

PS as a aside 3 days after I got my printer I got a e-mail from India claiming to be a New Zealand customs inspector wanting me to send lots of personal info to release my "package" I declined to respond.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2014 01:44AM by Miertam.

Hi Mike,
For the first three weeks I loved the machine. It worked ok or so I thought. Then it slowly became less reliable. The extruder gears decompose and end up blocking the nozzle and getting dust everywhere. The extruder clamping arm dissapears into the filament.
Then you start to realise you need to change some things. Best part is you cant change anything because they dont install a bootloader on the gen6 board. You need to buy a cheap USB ASP or something similar from ebay and install it yourself before you can make anychanges to Marlin. Make sure the USB ASP has a 6 pin connector.
Buy/build a better nozzle and buy/build a better extruder. Then re-calibrate the machine.
The support guys can be great or really bad. Rob basically told me it was my own fault my printer didnt work, But then i recently spoke to Jane who was great.
Good luck.
Mike

I haven't needed to call the support yet other than to verify my printer.

But I have had to clean out the extruder once. I am going to blame that one on the filament that I bought with the printer. It is just crappy and created lots of strings and pops as well as tending to hang in the extruder and get ground up. I have a couple new spools and WOW what a diferance.

I am looking around for a new print head so if you have any recommendations Please feel free to share. I mostly bought this to print out miniatures and obviously the print head is just too large for that kind of fine detail work.

One of the things that I did that made a huge difference in my prints is I am ignoring the 3dstuffmaker easy-print software. I am currently using Cura 14.something and while not perfect it's so much more intuitive for me to use. I think 3dstuffmaker are using older versions of the Pronterface and Slic3r software and it shows in the prints. Some update buttons would not be out of line there.

Right now I Am in the middle of printing out a Prusa I2 for a friend who's been struggling to get his printer running for almost a year now.

Thanks
MIke

The 3DStuffMaker Easy Print software is just a re-compiled version of Pronterface. I ditched their version and went with the newest, untouched release. Works great. But I prefer repetier host over that because of the temperature logging. I've always had problems with the temps.

I haven't tried Cura.

yeah I ditched their software along time ago..


I use repetier host and the lastest stable version of slicer...

These printers need the latest version of slic3r, gap fill will no longer make your machine a vibrator

HI Guys,
I also use repetier after trying it for the first time a few days ago. It's sooooo much better than pronterface. Regarding the head for the stuffmaker, i got a budaschnozzle for mine. Nechaus advised me to change and it works well.
I just built a smartrap machine as a second printer, after 48 hrs messing with the auto calibrate function its finally producing parts. I still need to tune it a lot but its a lot better on the first print than the stuffmaker. I think my stuffmaker is goint to become a 2nd smartrap in a few weeks.
Regards
Mike

whish I would have found this a year ago when I was looking for printers. long story short ended up buying 3DSM evolution kit form (price I could afford) thinking I could mod anything I couldn't get to work and even paid extra for extended support ( this was a mistake) spent many hours with tech support and got nowhere so decided to re invent their extruder which kept me busy for a month or so but to no avail. next I decided to bite the bullet and bought another (wades) online got the parts and there is no way possible to mount wades to their X carriage thought about trying to use extra hot end purchased with original order epic failure broke the wades trying to make it work ...back to the web for more research found a design I thought would be just what I needed...(airtripper direct drive) spent a couple weeks getting all the hard parts to assemble and mount the airtripper. now have just one last hurdle. I need to re program the firmware to slow down the feed speed on the direct drive by approx. 1/3 and after reading this thread it looks like the Gen6 board on this printer will not be able to accept re program with out buying some sort of bootstrap loader? am I correct?...please anyone is there another way or at least something I have missed?...all help appreciated...

What software are you using to control the printer?

Thanks Mike

currently i am using the pronterface that came with the printer...but i did plan to research the "redgedit" that i read about here... as i stated in the post i bought the printer in a kit some assembly required...dont want to go int it but sufice to say there where issues and i am now looking for help other than their tech support who i have noted are more to playkate purchasers long enough that there would be no chance of legal ramifications...their doing the best they can (big joke)!!! wouldnt mind is i didn't have to stay up till midnight just to talk to someome but having to start from scratch every call gets old fast...sorry for the ramble...Chris

Yeah man I hear you,

I thought for the first year I was the problem, I thought it was me using the printer incorrectly until i did my own reseach.
I was pretty angry that the company were kinda misleading me, ( yes all of our products work)
well after 7 replacement hotend I gave up an went with other hotends and never looked back.

My 3d stuff maker printer is about 2years old and being used heavily in the past 2 years...
it has been running very well now.. its pretty noisy these days, i bet i need to change the bearings... Alot of tinkering
I can now say as soon as a problem comes about, I am able to very quickly troubleshoot or know what's going on because of all the bullshit i went though in the start. PTSD lol
I am using all the same firmware from 3d stuffmaker, ( their update kit) but using the latest version of slic3r and pronterface...

You dont need to update the printers software to use other host programs or slicers typically.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2014 12:01AM by nechaus.

cant see the quality but I make and play with alot of multirotors,

I trust my prints enough to hold about $800+ worth of gear including my gopro using these 3dsm printer...

i have looked into all possible options in the software trying to change the steps / mm on the extruder it is set in firmware when the driver is loaded i think it has been a couple months since i tried any printing the original extruder is a POS and so i tried building my own version using bearing on pressure point then re ground my own hobed bolt etc.... but that was getting me nowhere. then wades which i broke trying to modify it to use their hot end and now i have airtripper mounted and functional but if i tell it to extrude 10mm it pumps out 30mm due to the original 3:1 gear reduction i think never counted the gear teeth hut i just want to print something start to finish with out any issues if you know what i mean...

The extruder is a piece of shit... , pops, slips, eats, it needs a roller system not friction... reminds me of when was a kid setting up friction drive ebikes...
I found retraction to be a mf-bs also with the bowden system they provide including the lock pieces for the tube, eventually they will break and not work.
And this is how i fixed it,

I changed the whole extruding system while maintaining and using the existing gearing.



I now use the exact same gearing but on a wades direct drive extruder.... I just printed a couple from thingiverse, you need to make sure the motor small gear and big gear are all the right way around so they feed the plastic in the correct direction for that extruder. I hope this makes sense.

I also updated the x carriage so it can fit the extruder onto to it as well as the budaschnozzle.

But I found this problem was because of their hotend, their hotends break easy or perhaps their thermistors are out and frys the hotends who knows.. But updating the hotend is the #1 thing to do with these printers, The hotend is like the heart of plastic 3d printer really....
Once you get a hotend fitted and wired up, try and print

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2014 12:31AM by nechaus.

after much reading and comparing i have learned how important it is to calibrate the extruder and that is all i am trying to do but i can't seem to change the "steps/mm" from 720 to240 and have it stay thought it was in config.h file but no access to that file without reloading software but before i go that route i want to be sure it will make the changes i need does that make more sense?...

Their hotends need so much pressure to extrude plastic causing all sorts of pain to the mind

If you switch to Cura you can simply change the flow % to .33% in the software. [software.ultimaker.com] just ignore the board settings.

Thanks Mike

BTW I am looking for a replacment extruder for mine if anyone knows of a good bowden kit that fits a Prusa i2 please send a link my way..I am haveing NO luck trying to print one.

sorry i meant "repetier" was the software i will be searching for latter today but i did go and D/L the Ultimaker software and manual just in case. thanks for the input i will be trying tonight to slow down the extruder. hopefully it will not lead to finding out that the hot end is indeed crap and i go on yet another web hunt for the NEXT FIX for this F'ing machine!!! I'm a patient person by nature but this adventure has gone on far to long with little or no satisfaction....only the next search...Grrr!...i will say this...THANK YOU!! to all that have shared their input....i feel less alone now...:-)

So... D/L Cura software and manual will look into getting them working tonight wish me luck ...also found the Repetier site and donated $10 bucks for their software looks like it might make things easier but will not know until i get things loaded and running looks like i have my work cut out for the next few days
Mike i have a wades that has been modified to accept Bowden tube if you want it i will try to upload a pic later when i get home...

Hi Cwbethel,
To adjust the steps / mm in the firmware you need a USB ASP with a 6 pin connector. Use the USB ASP to install a bootloader. Then you can use arduino to adjust the Marlin code. A USB ASP is only about $4 on ebay. Make sure it has a 6 pin wire or it wont fit.
Re software. I use Repetier, it's amazing compared to Pronterface IMO but I didnt realise you could adjust steps / mm in Repetier.
I don't use my stuffmaker anymore, but I did replace the head with a Buda style head, I build a wade extruder with a bowden connector and i recently replaced the electronics with RAMPS because the Gen 6 board blew a stepper driver. I got sick after all that and I bought a Smartrap a few weeks ago. The first print it ever produced was amazing. It was better than anything my stuffmaker ever produced in the 18 months I had it. It has auto levelling too, so cooool.
My stuffmaker is going to become parts for another project once I decide on what to build. Maybe a Kossel mini, hmmm.
Regards
Mike

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2014 07:19PM by mikefiatx19.

Quote
cwbethel
So... D/L Cura software and manual will look into getting them working tonight wish me luck ...also found the Repetier site and donated $10 bucks for their software looks like it might make things easier but will not know until i get things loaded and running looks like i have my work cut out for the next few days
Mike i have a wades that has been modified to accept Bowden tube if you want it i will try to upload a pic later when i get home...

I will attempt to print out a Wade's again if not it's off to search e-bay..

Thanks Mike

Hi Cwbethel,
I just figured out what you mean by setting the steps / mm in Repetier. I think you need to make sure the eeprom is activated to store G-code settings though and my Gen 6 was not. Yours could be but I am not sure. It's the M92 Y** (** being the required steps), then M500 to save the setting and then M501 to read the saved settings to check it's saved.
Mike