Setting Up New Printer Dimensions?

I have this new printer setup and calibrated for some time now and what is stopping me from actually doing a full print run is that it would do the following in this two program. In ReplicatorG, after creating the gcode from a .stl file and hitting print button, the machine would start printing normally and slowly edge to the X limit switch and would keep on going until I hit the power switch. Same thing with Y axis in some cases. In Printrun it would do the same except that it would stop when triggering the xyz limit switch on the first run. After reaching 200c it start the print process and move the Z axis but ignoring the limit switch forcing me to prematurely end it. Not having much luck with the software side of things. Do you need to set up a dimensions like a find home button or what am I doing wrong here?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2012 02:06AM by sypher.

Sweet. Looks like a TOM clone.

Got all your endstops soldered well? Have you checked to make sure they're working at all? Do you have "home all axes" in your start Gcode?

Could your belts/pulleys be slipping? check to make sure the belts are tight to the pulleys with 4 or more teeth touching the pulleys at all times and make sure the pulleys are tight to the motor shafts with grub/set screws securely in place and flatted motor shafts, perhaps with a ddab of locktite on the motor shafts and grub/set screws.

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-Tom

Hey Tom, I think I got the connection correct as when I use Printrun the initial stage move all the axis toward the limit switch and stop but not sure why it doesn't do anything after the print head is ready. The software limit switch is set in my Configuration.h file for all three axis "const int X_MAX_LENGTH = 120;"

I am using this and as you can see that it is a very tiny pully so it shouldn't even come close to the edge of my build dimension but every time it trigger the limit switch in both ReplictorG and Printrun and ignoring it. Do you need to have home all axes and where do you put it in the starter Gcode?

In this picture I connect the two wire on the outer edge leaving the middle unconnected.

So your saying that at the very beginning of a print your printer will move to all three endstops successfully? That is the process called "homing."

The reason I bring up belt slippage is because this has happened to me before where using Marlin with Printrun the belts would slip during a print and the printer would ignore the endstops, running the bed to the end and even knocking over my printer once.

You could also have skipping motors or binding in the rails that can cause this. With the printer turned off try moving everything by hand. Try to feel for binding or slipping. It should feel like a fluid, even movement across the whole dimension.

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-Tom

I guess it was homing correctly in Printrun before a print but quite the opposite when using ReplicatorG. In ReplicatorG it would skip the homing and goes right to printing but it doesn't seem to print what I loaded. It move maybe 10x as much as it should but I double checked with a digital caliper and even tried scaling the object down. I have also check for belt slippage and grip and it is all good so what do you suggest I try next? How do I go about restricting it to only move in a specific dimension?