newest newbie questions.

I have been a CNC programmer for 30 years so I thought this would be a fun hobby. I have a long extensive background with Mastercam and Solidworks as well as I started writing G-code before CAM (1982) was even available.
I bought a I3X with Sanguinololu kit and built it with alot of issues that seem to be common but nothing I haven't figured out with good ol google.

At this point my machine will jog all axis and go home nicely. I seem to have pronterface figured out and have drawn up a simple part that slicer did a nice job of making the G-code.

I am still struglling with a couple of small things before I attempt my first print that I thought I would let you experienced guru's comment on.

1. I cant seem to get my extruder heater nor my bed heater to turn on. I tried manully putting in the m-codes but im still uncertain if I have the correct ones.

2. My heated bed is very thin made of like FR4 circuit board. IMO its not flat enough for my liking. Anybody tryed covering it with a thin piece of glass? just an idea i had. I am wondering if I should get a finger indicator on there and check flatness.

I decided to draw my I3X in a solid model for future improvements. I attached a PDF of this. I am wondering if anyone else has a printer like this one. Mine just appears to be different than other I3X i see on the market. Most notely the angled vertical supports are in the back and most i see are in the front.

Thanks for your help in advance.....happy printing.

Hey,

Well do you use Prontrface to heat it up?
If that does work you could try checking if you get any amps from the eletrical port to your Nozzle, and example to check if your nozzle passes the eletrical with a multimeter.

Maybe your PSU isnt beafy enough to deliver enough amps to it?

Normaly the Heated bed will need like 5-6 amps i believe on its own. The nozzle around 3 amps i believe.

Well for printing you always use a glass covering your heatbed? ^^
Also ye you can always use a feeler gauge, it does the job perfectly!
I use piece of paper, But ye a gauge will be alot better and easyer for sure.

Also great that you wanna have this as hobby after working so long with CNC machines. ^^

As sidenote i am going to school atm for machining aswell, for cnc programmer, and probably also afterwards for plastics and perhaps cad developer, But ye ^^ the last one if a big maybe ^^


Hoping the best for you in this situation, never fun to have something not working as it should ^^

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2013 01:13PM by luigi.

I couldn't find anything on pronterface to turn on the heaters so thats why i went to m-codes. But then again theres a 100 different m-code list on the internet so im not sure exactly which m-code is the one for my Sanguinololu MB.

I will check my power supply and make sure I have proper amperage.

I just noticed pronterface shows current nozzle and bed temperature when i see screenshots of it on internet. Mine doesn't have that. I was just assuming you dont get it until the heaters are turned on. IDK

Weird?

This is what you should see [puu.sh]
And this is the total window [puu.sh]

Would be very akward if it doesnt show that :/

Maybe this download should help? [koti.kapsi.fi]

my mistake......I do have that, its just grey'd out, I assuming because i dont have the heaters turned on.

I'm at work now so it might be as simple as clicking those buttons. I thought i tryed that lastnight, but im not sure.

Just incase, do you know the m-code to turn each of those on?

Usually controls are greyed out until you press the connection button and a software connection is made. That would also prevent the direct entry of the M commands from working too.

When you successfully connect, you should see several lines of output in the log window.

Also i wouldnt mess with M codes when you have Pronterface,
Maybe a few times, But thats when your actualy testing stuff like a Fan or whatever.

It should work when made connection, if it doesnt and it did send that the temprature should be set but nothing happens i guess you should need to use your Multimeter for a sec.