MK2s or MK3 at this point?  

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

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I'm the exact same way. Of course I want this printer to be amazing, I bought one! I wouldn't have otherwise. It just doesn't help that I'm following the forums where all the people who are having problems come to discuss and so I question it over and over.

Yup and for those of us who haven't received our printer yet it's the best time to question as we still have a way out. Best I can tell most of the issues are software and not hardware, though the benchy test seems to imply a cooling issue exists, or is it a print speed/acceleration issue?

I'm intrigued by the DIY aspect of this thing. I'm big on bicycling but never buy a bike off the shelf, if I can't build it from the frameset up with exactly the componentry I want I don't buy it. However, once the bike is built and tuned I expect a full riding season out of it before I have to putz with it again, I want to spend my time riding it not constantly "fixing" it. I figured I'd approach 3D printing the same way as I enjoy knowing how everything works and interacts with each other as it makes repairs and improvements more intuitive.

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

Quick review of new awesome sauce on MK3 for you doubters:

1. removable build plate - works great! Better than I expected
2. filament sensor - you'll never go back (fixed in latest firmware): auto load, detect run out or jam
3. bondtech gears - perfect extrusion (haven't test flexible yet but expect great results)
4. temp compensated PINDA - consistent first layers so far across PLA, ABS, PETG
5. New Y axis - simple build and perfect alignment, faster printing
6. Trinamic drivers - crazy quiet and fast
7. Noctua fan - I think it's running

Not yet tested by me:
8. RPM sensing fans - improved reliability
9. power fail detect - good potential, maybe some sw tweaking
10. knock sensing - intermittent success, refine firmware

So you want to cancel your order because maybe 9 and 10 are spotty? The print quality is nearly there, just needs more tuning. Whole new Einsy board with trinamic drivers will take some tuning to perfect.

#8 now proven to work beautifully! An overnight print had a strand stick in the fan and it paused and waited for me to clear it. Resumed print successfully in the morning.

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

#8 now proven to work beautifully! An overnight print had a strand stick in the fan and it paused and waited for me to clear it. Resumed print successfully in the morning.

Sweet, great to hear!

I'd love to see some photos of successful, good prints, if you have any available!!

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

well, I have been out most of the day,

stopped two prints when the part complete bulldozer blade came adrift...

these are tiny but the body turns, the wheels turn and all of the boom and bucket joints hinge too

printed at 0.2mm layer height

regards Joan[attachment=0]20171228_202127[1].jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]20171228_013312[1].jpg[/attachment]

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

which came first, the Egg or the Digger,

in this case, very definitely, the Digger

[attachment=1]20171228_235239[1].jpg[/attachment]

the Egg printed on it's hinge end, and was difficult to open because the tongue on the clip, was tight... i have eased that a little with a nail file, and it now can be opened with my finger nails in the tiny relief in the joint line

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

Thanks Joan! What are your initial thoughts on the printer?

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

So far, I like it....

seems to work with basic Slic3r settings with extrusion multiplier lowered to 0.9 (not tried other values, but 1.0 seemed to give slightly rough top surfaces) no point investing a lot of time in the ends of rolls I am using up at the moment.

need to try a larger print soon, (with recent filament)
need to try PETG soon, as I have some project work to complete which is near 250mm long and needs to be PETG (I Dont do ABS)

using the cable tie measurement for the Pinda, my live Z was way over 1mm, so today I have raised the pinda and got the Live Z down to just over 0.500mm. not bothered trying for a smaller value yet

auto feed of the filament seemed to work ok... fed just enough filament to purge from orange to white

not overly impressed with the Y motor cable traversing the gap under the heatbed, unsupported, unprotected, but it works

the kit assembled well, no flash to clear on the printed parts, a couple of the holes were a touch tight, but all worked ok.

i have the einsey with the crossover board... would have preferred the other version. but it works. so no problems

wish the extruder power had also been changed to fork terminals, not that I have ever had any problems with the molex connectors like used on the mk1 and mk2 rambo...

not sure about the rubber feet, they seem easy to dislodge... but they have stayed put, since I finished the build...
no real complaints so far
regards Joan

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

Thanks Joan, I really appreciate your effort... It looks like I'm going to have to bone up on PINDA height and live Z. I'm guessing I'll have to start with the PINDA height at a heavy zip tie thickness with the goal being a low Iive Z value... I realize I'm probably going about learning all wrong but I'm looking to make functional parts so plan on starting with with whatever is sent with the printer then will jump straight into PETG.

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

Joan, that print is adorable!! Thanks for sharing!

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

Thanks Joan, I really appreciate your effort... It looks like I'm going to have to bone up on PINDA height and live Z. I'm guessing I'll have to start with the PINDA height at a heavy zip tie thickness with the goal being a low Iive Z value... I realize I'm probably going about learning all wrong but I'm looking to make functional parts so plan on starting with with whatever is sent with the printer then will jump straight into PETG.

Edward, I would start with the standard zip tie
and test the live z first.
only make changes if live z is over say -.900

see Jeff's thread https://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/prusa-i3-kit-building-calibrating-first-print-main-f6/life-adjust-z-my-way-t2981.html#p56813
regards Joan

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

use the recommended cable tie first,
test live Z height, if it's less than -.750 or there abouts, dont change it, if it's over -.800 consider changing it.

try Jeff's thread

life adjust Z - my way

regards Joan

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

Thanks Joan, I really appreciate your effort... It looks like I'm going to have to bone up on PINDA height and live Z. I'm guessing I'll have to start with the PINDA height at a heavy zip tie thickness with the goal being a low Iive Z value... I realize I'm probably going about learning all wrong but I'm looking to make functional parts so plan on starting with with whatever is sent with the printer then will jump straight into PETG.

Edward, I would start with the standard zip tie
and test the live z first.
only make changes if live z is over say -.900

see Jeff's thread life adjust Z - my way
regards Joan

Was that supposed to be a link?

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

no, it was meant to be a title to search on, however I have pasted a link there instead

thanks for your comment...

regards Joan

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

...

Edward, I would start with the standard zip tie
and test the live z first.
only make changes if live z is over say -.900

see Jeff's thread https://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/prusa-i3-kit-building-calibrating-first-print-main-f6/life-adjust-z-my-way-t2981.html#p56813
regards Joan

Works for me... Thanks again.

Ed

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

no, it was meant to be a title to search on, however I have pasted a link there instead

thanks for your comment...

regards Joan

I was just confused, because the text was blue 😀

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

Using a cable tie to measure the gap for the PINDA probe seems defeating since you don't know from one manufactured cable tie distance to another.
Is there a specific distance? Maybe use something that measures the gap distance. I've seen tools like a spark plug gapper, but this one below could work or something like it.

https://www.amazon.com/Highmoor-Welding-Stainless-Inspection-Measure/dp/B076PL1CP5/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1514567272&sr=8-8&keywords=gap+measurement+tool

No, I didn't start by looking at welding supplies, just ended up there for the best result for what I was looking for.... lol

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

I printed a long wedge from 1mm to 3mm tall and 10mm wide. With 0.2mm layer height and this resulyed in a series of steps at .2mm height increments. And i used these to help with pinda adjustment
Regards Joan

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

I've got feeler gauges which will work fine, just need to know the correct distance from plate to pinda gauge that leaves enough room for adjustment. When I get some time at home (if someone hasn't already) I'll break out the measuring tools and figure it out. Ideal will be measurement to tip of nozzle from bed and measurement to tip of pinda probe from bed, so people can seat the pinda probe appropriately if they have the proper tooling (really looking for differential between tip of nozzle and tip of pinda probe but that would be challenging to measure directly for most). Not sure why there isn't already a suggested measurement, but we can figure one out. 🙂

This way you can move your hotend on Z until it's at the correct height from bed then put a feeler in place for the pinda of the correct height then just drop the probe until it sandwiches the feeler on the plate, and be set.

Suggestion for anybody reading this from Prusa, create a two level insert you place between the nozzle and bed, that has a second level which you drop the probe down to. I'll model one in CAD after I have the measurements.

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

What you need to do is set up the pinda as advised in the build guide. Adjust live z.
If it is too large

Measure pinda height at that time. Adjust pinda height by the differencebetween the current live z and the desired live z
So my live z was 1.300
I wanted 0.5 or there abouts
Difference 0.8
So i slid my wedge under the probe until i felt friction.
Noted the position. Loosened the pinda. Raised it. Slid the wedge four steps further under the probe. Pressed the probe down and tightened the pinda clamp.

Then re adjusted live z to zero. Re run the z calibration. And it came out slightly higher than i wanted but not enough to worry about...... so i got on with new prints. 🙂

JOAN

Re: MK2s or MK3 at this point?

What you need to do is set up the pinda as advised in the build guide. Adjust live z.
If it is too large

Measure pinda height at that time. Adjust pinda height by the differencebetween the current live z and the desired live z
So my live z was 1.300
I wanted 0.5 or there abouts
Difference 0.8
So i slid my wedge under the probe until i felt friction.
Noted the position. Loosened the pinda. Raised it. Slid the wedge four steps further under the probe. Pressed the probe down and tightened the pinda clamp.

Then re adjusted live z to zero. Re run the z calibration. And it came out slightly higher than i wanted but not enough to worry about...... so i got on with new prints. 🙂

JOAN

Thanks again Joan, you should be on Prusa's payroll... So PINDA height is inversely proportional to live z. 0.2mm increase in PINDA height results in ~0.2mm decrease in live Z? Now, being that I have no other printer I'm assuming the rough calibration with the cable tie will get me close enough to make a step gauge like you have? Still reading up on how to set up but everything's a little abstract without actually having a printer on hand, so I should probably step back until I have the printer ...

Ed