Folger Tech 2020 i3 Printer Kit (Official Thread)

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therippa

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sonnylowe

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woodknack

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therippa

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Keary123
therippa in regards to Simplify3D what problems did it solve? I have been using slicer and have had some annoyances, no real
Issues. I thought about switching to Cura. What are your thoughts on this?

Two things it immediately fixed was waviness on the walls of my calibration cubes, and one corner on them always bulging out.

Also S3D is more then just a slicer. Im still learning things I can do with it. You can bring two model into and merge them together. Like a pair of sun glass's to an aliens head. And much more. From easy to advanced.

[www.youtube.com]

I've been wanting to pull the trigger on this software for a while now, all of this S3D talk today just might push me over the edge :-)

giphy.gif

Finally had to replace my PC this weekend, it's been on it's last leg for months, maybe years!?!? I've just about transferred everything and got it all setup, now it's time for S3D. Of course the Folger-Tech is not on the compatible printer list. I assume one of the many RepRap or Prusa i3 versions are a good starting point, any suggestions therippa???

Thanks,
Sonny

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woodknack

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therippa

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woodknack

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therippa

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msaeger

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watlooazn
Guys I really need help. First time builder, half way into building the printer BUT I CANNOT find a way to tighten the m3 nyloc nuts!

What tool should I use? Please be precise. Pliers? Ive been trying really hard with pliers but they never get screwed in by me.

How did you guys tighten the nut here?
[drive.google.com]

And how did you tighten the nut here?
[drive.google.com]
Also for this picture, is it possible to just use duct tape to secure the center 3d printer part? Or will it heat up too much and is dangerous.

Thanks guys!

M3 nylocks need a 5.5mm tool. I used this set for my build [www.amazon.com]
Those are all a pain but I just used a pliers. I should get a 3mm socket or box wrench but I just keep using a pliers because I have it near the printer.

Hey THERIPPA,
I just got my lead screws in . Not sure what I should use for a starting number in the firmware, can you help me?
Think its what 8mm 4 start? What is the lead screw pitch? 1.25??
If so I should be plugging in around 2560.00 in the firmware for that axis as a starting point? or is the pitch on that lead screw different then 1.25?

postimage.org

Stop screaming at me! Change 4000 to 400...

#define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT {80,80,400,98}

THANK YOU!!!!!! LOL

How are you going to mount it?

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sonnylowe

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therippa

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sonnylowe

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woodknack

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therippa

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Keary123
therippa in regards to Simplify3D what problems did it solve? I have been using slicer and have had some annoyances, no real
Issues. I thought about switching to Cura. What are your thoughts on this?

Two things it immediately fixed was waviness on the walls of my calibration cubes, and one corner on them always bulging out.

Also S3D is more then just a slicer. Im still learning things I can do with it. You can bring two model into and merge them together. Like a pair of sun glass's to an aliens head. And much more. From easy to advanced.

[www.youtube.com]

I've been wanting to pull the trigger on this software for a while now, all of this S3D talk today just might push me over the edge :-)

giphy.gif

Finally had to replace my PC this weekend, it's been on it's last leg for months, maybe years!?!? I've just about transferred everything and got it all setup, now it's time for S3D. Of course the Folger-Tech is not on the compatible printer list. I assume one of the many RepRap or Prusa i3 versions are a good starting point, any suggestions therippa???

Thanks,
Sonny

Just select other and set your dimensions. Pretty easy. Then You can tweak the default settings for your needs.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2015 03:10PM by woodknack.

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woodknack

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sonnylowe

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therippa

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sonnylowe

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woodknack

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therippa

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Keary123
therippa in regards to Simplify3D what problems did it solve? I have been using slicer and have had some annoyances, no real
Issues. I thought about switching to Cura. What are your thoughts on this?

Two things it immediately fixed was waviness on the walls of my calibration cubes, and one corner on them always bulging out.

Also S3D is more then just a slicer. Im still learning things I can do with it. You can bring two model into and merge them together. Like a pair of sun glass's to an aliens head. And much more. From easy to advanced.

[www.youtube.com]

I've been wanting to pull the trigger on this software for a while now, all of this S3D talk today just might push me over the edge :-)

giphy.gif

Finally had to replace my PC this weekend, it's been on it's last leg for months, maybe years!?!? I've just about transferred everything and got it all setup, now it's time for S3D. Of course the Folger-Tech is not on the compatible printer list. I assume one of the many RepRap or Prusa i3 versions are a good starting point, any suggestions therippa???

Thanks,
Sonny

Just select other and set your dimensions. Pretty easy. Then You can tweak the default settings for your needs.

I wondered if there was a custom option...it does sound easy, thanks :-)

I have a Folgertech Prusa i3. I've done the construction and started the configuration. The Arduino is flashed with the Marlin firmware. But when I plug the Ramps board into the Arduino and turn on power the Arduino is not seen by the PC. The error message in Repetier was something like "there is no port".

So I ran the Arduino software that I used to flash the firmware. It also does not see the Arduino. If I remove the Ramps board from the Arduino the Arduino software sees the Arduino on the USB port just fine. Plug the Ramps board back on and the Arduino can't be seen on the USB again. I also noticed that with the Ramps board plugged in, the LED on the Arduino does not light up where it is lit without the Ramps board. The wiring on the Ramps board all look good.

Any ideas on fixing or troubleshooting the problem?

Steve

I need help with wiring the stepper motors to the Ramps board. The build instructions show the wires attaching to the board with the green wire being the first starting from the left for all the stepper motors except for the z carriage assembly which is not clear to me. The one picture shows it being held with green wire first, but the other picture shows red wire first while being held near the connector on the Ramps board. Which is it? I could not find any picture of the Ramps board with all the stepper motor wires connected. I chose to wire it with green wire first, but I am concerned this is not right. Help would be appreciated.

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SteveSimpson
I have a Folgertech Prusa i3. I've done the construction and started the configuration. The Arduino is flashed with the Marlin firmware. But when I plug the Ramps board into the Arduino and turn on power the Arduino is not seen by the PC. The error message in Repetier was something like "there is no port".

So I ran the Arduino software that I used to flash the firmware. It also does not see the Arduino. If I remove the Ramps board from the Arduino the Arduino software sees the Arduino on the USB port just fine. Plug the Ramps board back on and the Arduino can't be seen on the USB again. I also noticed that with the Ramps board plugged in, the LED on the Arduino does not light up where it is lit without the Ramps board. The wiring on the Ramps board all look good.

Any ideas on fixing or troubleshooting the problem?

Steve

I had this same issue and it was a bad Ramps board. You can check for solder bridges and the like but it will most likely need replacing.

Hi all, new member here, first post!

I purchased the 2020 based on its popularity on this forum, knowing that if I had a question there would be a whole community with answers. So here I am!

Apart from missing SK8s in the kit (Folger sent them out right away after a quick email exchange, thanks Folger!), the kit went together without a hitch. Now I'm starting to do the initial configuration checkout, and coming here with my first question. I should start out by saying I've flashed the Arduino with therippa's Release branch of Marlin.

Initially, the X, Y, and Z axes would only move in the negative direction, apparantly because Marlin believed the positive endstops were triggered. A call to M119 on the serial command line showed:

Reporting endstop status
x_min: open
x_max: TRIGGERED
y_min: open
y_max: TRIGGERED
z_min: open
z_max: TRIGGERED

Well, I've only got endstops on the min positions. A quick review of the Configuration.h showed that the pullup resistors on the max positions were not enabled:

//  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_XMAX
//  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_YMAX
//  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMAX
  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_XMIN
  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_YMIN
  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMIN

Since the switch outputs 5V only when open, it seemed obvious that the MAX pullups needed to be enabled (or some other configuration parameter set to disable the MAX endstops). I uncommented the offending lines, and it all seems to work.

So my question to the community: What could possibly be different about my setup that requires me to uncomment these lines? As far as I can tell, the dozens of people on this forum who are up and running didn't need to make this change to either therippa's branch, or the build on the Folger googledrive. Is there possibly something else I've failed to do?

Related question for extra credit: why are we enabling pullups on the MIN endstops anyway? If the endstop switch ever gets disconnected, it seems to me you would Marlin to think the switch is closed, and a pullup will make it read 5V and think the switch is open.

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elkayem
Hi all, new member here, first post!

I purchased the 2020 based on its popularity on this forum, knowing that if I had a question there would be a whole community with answers. So here I am!

Apart from missing SK8s in the kit (Folger sent them out right away after a quick email exchange, thanks Folger!), the kit went together without a hitch. Now I'm starting to do the initial configuration checkout, and coming here with my first question. I should start out by saying I've flashed the Arduino with therippa's Release branch of Marlin.

Initially, the X, Y, and Z axes would only move in the negative direction, apparantly because Marlin believed the positive endstops were triggered. A call to M119 on the serial command line showed:

Reporting endstop status
x_min: open
x_max: TRIGGERED
y_min: open
y_max: TRIGGERED
z_min: open
z_max: TRIGGERED

Well, I've only got endstops on the min positions. A quick review of the Configuration.h showed that the pullup resistors on the max positions were not enabled:

//  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_XMAX
//  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_YMAX
//  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMAX
  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_XMIN
  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_YMIN
  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMIN

Since the switch outputs 5V only when open, it seemed obvious that the MAX pullups needed to be enabled (or some other configuration parameter set to disable the MAX endstops). I uncommented the offending lines, and it all seems to work.

So my question to the community: What could possibly be different about my setup that requires me to uncomment these lines? As far as I can tell, the dozens of people on this forum who are up and running didn't need to make this change to either therippa's branch, or the build on the Folger googledrive. Is there possibly something else I've failed to do?

Related question for extra credit: why are we enabling pullups on the MIN endstops anyway? If the endstop switch ever gets disconnected, it seems to me you would Marlin to think the switch is closed, and a pullup will make it read 5V and think the switch is open.

I'm a noob but here are my thoughts.

1. Funny I just finished mine and had the SK8's missing also. That and a 360mm(?) rod.

2. did you use the firmware from here?
The latest Marlin firmware with Folgertech Prusa i3 settings merged in, get it here
[www.github.com]

3. Pictures are wrong. X end stop needs to move over one. To the left.

4. I had to reverse the extruder also. It was backwards.

4. You have to set the min to max if your endstop is on the right.

Yea i'm a noob but after 2 days of printing thats what I have learned.

Hi, I recently got a RepRapDiscount Smart Controller board, and it kind of works. The info screen when first powering it on works fine, but after scrolling up and down bunch of weird symbols pop up on the screen. Also, when my Arduino only turns on when I plug it in through USB and not just from the power supply. Could this be affecting it? Also noticed a short between two of the pins on the RAMPS board that are connected to the LCD board. Has anyone else had problems like this?

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twigtree
Hi, I recently got a RepRapDiscount Smart Controller board, and it kind of works. The info screen when first powering it on works fine, but after scrolling up and down bunch of weird symbols pop up on the screen. Also, when my Arduino only turns on when I plug it in through USB and not just from the power supply. Could this be affecting it? Also noticed a short between two of the pins on the RAMPS board that are connected to the LCD board. Has anyone else had problems like this?

The power problem is because Folgertech gives us RAMPS/Arduino boards that put out 4.8v when they should be putting out 5v.

---

Need help? Visit the Folgertech Wikia Page

The latest Marlin firmware with Folgertech Prusa i3 settings merged in, get it here

And check out my designs on Thingiverse, and follow me if you like what you see!

I was about to go do the lead screws and reworked X carriage, when I realized, I never liked the servo mount that I currently use, that is wedged between the fan and heatsink.

Added the servo mount directly to the X carriage that you guys linked me. I think I'm going to like this one much better

[www.thingiverse.com]

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Markus4e
I need help with wiring the stepper motors to the Ramps board. The build instructions show the wires attaching to the board with the green wire being the first starting from the left for all the stepper motors except for the z carriage assembly which is not clear to me. The one picture shows it being held with green wire first, but the other picture shows red wire first while being held near the connector on the Ramps board. Which is it? I could not find any picture of the Ramps board with all the stepper motor wires connected. I chose to wire it with green wire first, but I am concerned this is not right. Help would be appreciated.

On my printer, all of the green motor wires are facing away from the terminal blocks except for the top middle motor. The direction that the wires are facing does not really matter to much if you are just getting the printer to the point where it initially works, as long as both of the Z axis motor wires are facing in the same direction. If some of your motor wires are initially backwards, don't sweat it since they will not short, but will only turn in reverse directions.

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elkayem
Hi all, new member here, first post!

I purchased the 2020 based on its popularity on this forum, knowing that if I had a question there would be a whole community with answers. So here I am!

Apart from missing SK8s in the kit (Folger sent them out right away after a quick email exchange, thanks Folger!), the kit went together without a hitch. Now I'm starting to do the initial configuration checkout, and coming here with my first question. I should start out by saying I've flashed the Arduino with therippa's Release branch of Marlin.

Initially, the X, Y, and Z axes would only move in the negative direction, apparantly because Marlin believed the positive endstops were triggered. A call to M119 on the serial command line showed:

Reporting endstop status
x_min: open
x_max: TRIGGERED
y_min: open
y_max: TRIGGERED
z_min: open
z_max: TRIGGERED

Well, I've only got endstops on the min positions. A quick review of the Configuration.h showed that the pullup resistors on the max positions were not enabled:

//  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_XMAX
//  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_YMAX
//  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMAX
  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_XMIN
  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_YMIN
  #define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMIN

Since the switch outputs 5V only when open, it seemed obvious that the MAX pullups needed to be enabled (or some other configuration parameter set to disable the MAX endstops). I uncommented the offending lines, and it all seems to work.

So my question to the community: What could possibly be different about my setup that requires me to uncomment these lines? As far as I can tell, the dozens of people on this forum who are up and running didn't need to make this change to either therippa's branch, or the build on the Folger googledrive. Is there possibly something else I've failed to do?

Related question for extra credit: why are we enabling pullups on the MIN endstops anyway? If the endstop switch ever gets disconnected, it seems to me you would Marlin to think the switch is closed, and a pullup will make it read 5V and think the switch is open.

For these endstops, the line between the Vin pin and the signal pin are NC, and the line between Vin and ground are NO. The signal pin sees ground voltage when the switch is actuated.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2015 10:05PM by Mach.

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Markus4e
I need help with wiring the stepper motors to the Ramps board. The build instructions show the wires attaching to the board with the green wire being the first starting from the left for all the stepper motors except for the z carriage assembly which is not clear to me. The one picture shows it being held with green wire first, but the other picture shows red wire first while being held near the connector on the Ramps board. Which is it? I could not find any picture of the Ramps board with all the stepper motor wires connected. I chose to wire it with green wire first, but I am concerned this is not right. Help would be appreciated.

According to the instruction manual, The plug for the X motor should have the red wire to the left. Put it just like the picture shows. The instructions call this the 'Z' motor again. Also these things need to be done that are different from the instructions.>>


Change the following in configuration.h

#define INVERT_X_DIR true to #define INVERT_X_DIR false
#define X_HOME_DIR -1 to #define X_HOME_DIR 1
With the printer off PHYSICALLY move the x-axis stopper to the left one set of pins (this makes it so it's the x max instead of x-min)

Now if you are using rep host, you need to go to printer settings > printer shape and change home X: from min to Max.

One big glaring mistake in the build manual is putting the X stop plug in the wrong place on the board. It should be right next to the Y stop plug, not two over as the manual says. Also, for the X motor plug wires, keep them as you see. It's not a mistake to have them reversed from the others. I DID end up reversing the extruder motor plug because it was pushing the filament out the top!

The new spring design extruder has a brass feed gear that, for me, was rubbing inside the motor housing and causing it to drag and skip steps

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therippa
The power problem is because Folgertech gives us RAMPS/Arduino boards that put out 4.8v when they should be putting out 5v.

Actually I think it might be because of the destroyed voltage regulator on the Arduino that I just found. I'm not sure if replacing it will fix the odd symbols that pop up on my screen. According to Google, people are having similar issues related to grounding, but I don't really know.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2015 10:30PM by twigtree.

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twigtree

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therippa
The power problem is because Folgertech gives us RAMPS/Arduino boards that put out 4.8v when they should be putting out 5v.

Actually I think it might be because of the destroyed voltage regulator on the Arduino that I just found. I'm not sure if replacing it will fix the odd symbols that pop up on my screen. According to Google, people are having similar issues related to grounding, but I don't really know.

When I was doing a tall print and my extruder motor got close to my LCD screen, which is mounted on the top rail of the FT2020, the screen went haywire. It could be some EMI screwing with it also.

Interesting. When I plugged in my printer for the first time I got the dreaded magic blue smoke. It was the voltage regulator on the Arduino that was smoking. I could see from the surface of the voltage regulator that it had started to melt. I examined the Ramps board and found that the solder pad for the pin that plugs into Vin on the Arduino was not soldered at all. And a possible solder bridge elsewhere on the Ramps.

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Yelloow-Snow

I'm a noob but here are my thoughts.

1. Funny I just finished mine and had the SK8's missing also. That and a 360mm(?) rod.

2. did you use the firmware from here?
The latest Marlin firmware with Folgertech Prusa i3 settings merged in, get it here
[www.github.com]

3. Pictures are wrong. X end stop needs to move over one. To the left.

4. I had to reverse the extruder also. It was backwards.

4. You have to set the min to max if your endstop is on the right.

Yea i'm a noob but after 2 days of printing thats what I have learned.

EoLm0Qa.jpg

Thanks for the feedback, Yelloow. I'm running therippa's Marlin branch. I have moved the X axis stop to the left side, and have all the endstops plugged into the MIN terminals. The issue I see is the same on X, Y, and Z axes. I do understand why I needed to enable the MAX pullup resistors, I just don't understand why everyone else's printer works without this modification.

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Mach
For these endstops, the line between the Vin pin and the signal pin are NC, and the line between Vin and ground are NO. The signal pin sees ground voltage when the switch is actuated.

You got it, Mach. Conversely, the signal pin outputs +5V when the switch is open. On my unconnected MAX lines, I needed to enable the pullup resistors so Marlin would think these switches were open. After making this change, my printer X, Y, & Z motors work in both directions.

I really can't understand why everyone else's printers work without this change. What could possibly be different with my hardware? It's more of a curiosity at this point, since the motors seem to be working now, moving in the right directions, and finding home correctly. Haven't printed anything yet... baby steps.

I fixed my LCD not working which was because of a solder bridge on the RAMPS board, and I am now trying to replace the extruder fan with a new one. The extruder fan that came with the kit has started to shake the entire printer causing a lot of noise. I bought a fan off of Amazon and connected it to the power supply and it caught on fire. The wires started burning because the fan couldn't handle it. Where can I find a good replacement fan, or what are the specifications for a fan that I would need?

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twigtree
I fixed my LCD not working which was because of a solder bridge on the RAMPS board, and I am now trying to replace the extruder fan with a new one. The extruder fan that came with the kit has started to shake the entire printer causing a lot of noise. I bought a fan off of Amazon and connected it to the power supply and it caught on fire. The wires started burning because the fan couldn't handle it. Where can I find a good replacement fan, or what are the specifications for a fan that I would need?

It sounds like you got a 5 volt fan instead of 12 volts! Believe it or not, I've gotten good results from these super cheap fans. No noise and they've been running 3 months except for the one I stuck a screw driver into! Good thing I ordered 6!

[smile.amazon.com]

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tjnamtiw

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twigtree
I fixed my LCD not working which was because of a solder bridge on the RAMPS board, and I am now trying to replace the extruder fan with a new one. The extruder fan that came with the kit has started to shake the entire printer causing a lot of noise. I bought a fan off of Amazon and connected it to the power supply and it caught on fire. The wires started burning because the fan couldn't handle it. Where can I find a good replacement fan, or what are the specifications for a fan that I would need?

It sounds like you got a 5 volt fan instead of 12 volts! Believe it or not, I've gotten good results from these super cheap fans. No noise and they've been running 3 months except for the one I stuck a screw driver into! Good thing I ordered 6!

[smile.amazon.com]

I definitely got a 12v fan, but I think the thin wires couldn't handle the amount of current coming straight from the power supply. Do you think that this fan will be able to be used as a cooling fan from the D9 connector on the RAMPS board? That was the fan where the wires caught on fire. It's rated for 50 mA, but I don't know how much current is outputted through the connector.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2015 10:34PM by twigtree.

0.1A definitely should not have melted the wires. There must have been something else going on, either on the printer side or a bad fan.

Ah, it's a three pin connector with rpm sensor. I'm not at my printer now but I'm guessing the pinout is not the same at the connector.

[www.noctua.at]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2015 11:04PM by markts.

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twigtree

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tjnamtiw

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twigtree
I fixed my LCD not working which was because of a solder bridge on the RAMPS board, and I am now trying to replace the extruder fan with a new one. The extruder fan that came with the kit has started to shake the entire printer causing a lot of noise. I bought a fan off of Amazon and connected it to the power supply and it caught on fire. The wires started burning because the fan couldn't handle it. Where can I find a good replacement fan, or what are the specifications for a fan that I would need?

It sounds like you got a 5 volt fan instead of 12 volts! Believe it or not, I've gotten good results from these super cheap fans. No noise and they've been running 3 months except for the one I stuck a screw driver into! Good thing I ordered 6!

[smile.amazon.com]

I definitely got a 12v fan, but I think the thin wires couldn't handle the amount of current coming straight from the power supply. Do you think that this fan will be able to be used as a cooling fan from the D9 connector on the RAMPS board? That was the fan where the wires caught on fire. It's rated for 50 mA, but I don't know how much current is outputted through the connector.

You could get the same fan that came with the printer, original fan. If it was not shaking the printer when you first installed it, it most likely started to shake the printer because the screws were not tightened down enough, or the fan became damaged. I known on my printer, the fan used to be quieter until I accidentally poked the blades a few times while the fan was on.

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twigtree

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tjnamtiw

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twigtree
I fixed my LCD not working which was because of a solder bridge on the RAMPS board, and I am now trying to replace the extruder fan with a new one. The extruder fan that came with the kit has started to shake the entire printer causing a lot of noise. I bought a fan off of Amazon and connected it to the power supply and it caught on fire. The wires started burning because the fan couldn't handle it. Where can I find a good replacement fan, or what are the specifications for a fan that I would need?

It sounds like you got a 5 volt fan instead of 12 volts! Believe it or not, I've gotten good results from these super cheap fans. No noise and they've been running 3 months except for the one I stuck a screw driver into! Good thing I ordered 6!

[smile.amazon.com]

I definitely got a 12v fan, but I think the thin wires couldn't handle the amount of current coming straight from the power supply. Do you think that this fan will be able to be used as a cooling fan from the D9 connector on the RAMPS board? That was the fan where the wires caught on fire. It's rated for 50 mA, but I don't know how much current is outputted through the connector.

I order a 40mm offbrand fan from ebay to use on the cooling of the PLA at the hot end on my printer and it's working fine.

If I understand fine the motor on the fan is designed to consume certain amperage at the full voltage that they were designed... if you have a 12 volt 50mA fan and you plug it on a 12 volt 30A power supply that do not mean that the fan is going to get 30 amps, it's going to run at full capacity and the power supply will still have enough "juice" to power more fans or electronics as long as the total amperage consumption won't exceed 29 amps (most of the power supplies have fail safe feature that will shut it off and restart it)...

I will second the opinion on the fan being rated for 5 Volts and the voltage was double than the one calculated for the gauge of the wires so it literally was on fire, don't be surprised to find that the vendor has the fan listed under 12V specifications and shipped the 5v version.. or could have being just a defective fan made by a chinese guy who was tired after 10hr shift!

---

Mr.Fus
<------------------------------------------------->
Green M3D (Running v.1.3.6.3Beta)
FolgerTech Prusa i3 (2020 Frame)
<------------------------------------------------>

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Mrfus

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twigtree

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tjnamtiw

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twigtree
I fixed my LCD not working which was because of a solder bridge on the RAMPS board, and I am now trying to replace the extruder fan with a new one. The extruder fan that came with the kit has started to shake the entire printer causing a lot of noise. I bought a fan off of Amazon and connected it to the power supply and it caught on fire. The wires started burning because the fan couldn't handle it. Where can I find a good replacement fan, or what are the specifications for a fan that I would need?

It sounds like you got a 5 volt fan instead of 12 volts! Believe it or not, I've gotten good results from these super cheap fans. No noise and they've been running 3 months except for the one I stuck a screw driver into! Good thing I ordered 6!

[smile.amazon.com]

I definitely got a 12v fan, but I think the thin wires couldn't handle the amount of current coming straight from the power supply. Do you think that this fan will be able to be used as a cooling fan from the D9 connector on the RAMPS board? That was the fan where the wires caught on fire. It's rated for 50 mA, but I don't know how much current is outputted through the connector.

I order a 40mm offbrand fan from ebay to use on the cooling of the PLA at the hot end on my printer and it's working fine.

If I understand fine the motor on the fan is designed to consume certain amperage at the full voltage that they were designed... if you have a 12 volt 50mA fan and you plug it on a 12 volt 30A power supply that do not mean that the fan is going to get 30 amps, it's going to run at full capacity and the power supply will still have enough "juice" to power more fans or electronics as long as the total amperage consumption won't exceed 29 amps (most of the power supplies have fail safe feature that will shut it off and restart it)...

I will second the opinion on the fan being rated for 5 Volts and the voltage was double than the one calculated for the gauge of the wires so it literally was on fire, don't be surprised to find that the vendor has the fan listed under 12V specifications and shipped the 5v version.. or could have being just a defective fan made by a chinese guy who was tired after 10hr shift!

I don't know, I mean, Noctua is a pretty trusted brand of fans and it did say 12v 0.05a on the fan. The wires were quite small and I think they just couldn't handle the power going through them.

Guys im getting really frustrated. (Noob builder here). Everything I do, I keep making silly mistakes which take so much time to fix.

I accidentally put the 3d printed part in the picture into the holes on THE RIGHT, and now I cant unscrew the nyloc nuts as they are stuck.

[drive.google.com] (pic here)


Please tell me that this is okay and I can keep it in these holes. If that is the case, would I just have to move the motor mount on the back and the pulley on the front to compensate for this? Pls help, Ive been trying to move the nyloc nut out but cant so I have to live with my mistake.

Quote
watlooazn
Guys im getting really frustrated. (Noob builder here). Everything I do, I keep making silly mistakes which take so much time to fix.

I accidentally put the 3d printed part in the picture into the holes on THE RIGHT, and now I cant unscrew the nyloc nuts as they are stuck.

[drive.google.com] (pic here)


Please tell me that this is okay and I can keep it in these holes. If that is the case, would I just have to move the motor mount on the back and the pulley on the front to compensate for this? Pls help, Ive been trying to move the nyloc nut out but cant so I have to live with my mistake.

That should be OK, and in fact I think it is how I have mine (with the spare holes nearer to the side with the two bearings). You may need to put the motor mount right up against the chrome rod which has the single bearing on it.

To make it clearer what I mean about the motor: [goo.gl].

Possibly this puts a slight turning force on the build plate, but I've not seen any problems with it, and I've used my printer for on average about 1-2 hours a day for 4.5 months now.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2015 11:28PM by animoose.

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See my blog at [moosteria.blogspot.com].

has anyone here tried to print transparent ABS? I picked up a spool to try and see how it goes. With the RC parts I have been making I thought some of it would be pretty cool to run transparent. When I tried to print it though it turned out more white than clear and the parts were very fragile like I did not have good adhesion between layers. I think that it was probably because of not running enough heat on the extruder. Can anyone comment?