1
News and Announcements / Re: G2Z
« on: May 03, 2017, 09:29:33 AM »
How refreshingly candid! 😊
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2
General Discussion / Re: Shim .05
« on: February 15, 2017, 09:37:55 PM »
Another (strong) vote for Z-Sense.
The shim works but sooner or later you will wish for the simplicity and consistency of Z-Sense. And once you work worth it for awhile, you'll realize how useful it is to have easy, complete control of the nozzle-to-bed gap - smaller for better print adhesion but more difficult removal, larger for less "stick" but prints that pop off easily. Z-Sense also makes using alternate beds and bed surfaces such as BuildTak, PEI/Ultem, etc. a quick, easy re-cal.
PS - I'm a fan, not an investor. And I violated no federal, state or local legal or ethical rules in the posting of this endorsement.
The shim works but sooner or later you will wish for the simplicity and consistency of Z-Sense. And once you work worth it for awhile, you'll realize how useful it is to have easy, complete control of the nozzle-to-bed gap - smaller for better print adhesion but more difficult removal, larger for less "stick" but prints that pop off easily. Z-Sense also makes using alternate beds and bed surfaces such as BuildTak, PEI/Ultem, etc. a quick, easy re-cal.
PS - I'm a fan, not an investor. And I violated no federal, state or local legal or ethical rules in the posting of this endorsement.
3
General Discussion / Re: filament holder TPU
« on: February 11, 2017, 10:11:17 PM »
There are a number of printable spool holders that use inexpensive skateboard bearings to reduce rolling friction. Some sit on the bench next to the printer while others mount on the wall. There might even be one that mounts on your Zortrax, although I haven't seen it. They come in two basic designs, ones where bearings support a spindle on which the spool turns and others where the spool sits on rollers having bearings in their center. If building isn't your thing, shop Amazon or other places that cater to 3d printing.
Good luck.
Jeff
Good luck.
Jeff
4
Materials Compatibility / Re: Semi Flex settings
« on: January 23, 2017, 01:38:41 PM »
Sorry, I know it's no help but I took Julia's advice and bought Sainsmart TPU. It prints easy-peasy with Z-Temp and ZT-HE. Just wondering if Semi-flex is worth the pain when TPU is $25-ish on AZ. Good luck.
5
General Discussion / Re: Cannot get rid of clicking!
« on: December 23, 2016, 05:27:38 PM »
Did you use the shim as per the directions to make the nozzle-to-bed gap 0.5mm greater than the M200 sets it? If not, that clicking, which is failure to feed, will certainly happen when you try to print PLA. And once it has gone on for awhile, it may have created a shaving that is now trapped between the feed gear and the housing, preventing the gear from turning. However, if you are now successfully printing Z-ABS your extruder is feeding and your nozzle is not jammed.
That leaves temperature. If you sliced using the Z-ABS profile, your M200 should try to hold ~270-275℃. A -70℃ Z-Temp offset should give you a nozzle temp of about 200-205℃, fine for PLA. OTOH, if you sliced using UltraT or another Zortrax profile, using -70 may be holding your nozzle temp too low. Do you have a digital volt meter around? If so, plug the provided lead into your Z-Temp and the DVM so you can read the nozzle temp.
The good news is, the more you print PLA and other filament types the more you will love your ZT-HE. So, although it didn't solve your current problem it's not money wasted - all you did was make an investment that will save you lots of problems in the future.
Good luck and Merry Christmas.
Jeff
That leaves temperature. If you sliced using the Z-ABS profile, your M200 should try to hold ~270-275℃. A -70℃ Z-Temp offset should give you a nozzle temp of about 200-205℃, fine for PLA. OTOH, if you sliced using UltraT or another Zortrax profile, using -70 may be holding your nozzle temp too low. Do you have a digital volt meter around? If so, plug the provided lead into your Z-Temp and the DVM so you can read the nozzle temp.
The good news is, the more you print PLA and other filament types the more you will love your ZT-HE. So, although it didn't solve your current problem it's not money wasted - all you did was make an investment that will save you lots of problems in the future.
Good luck and Merry Christmas.
Jeff
6
Materials Compatibility / ASA filament
« on: December 18, 2016, 03:09:14 PM »
Anyone printed extensively with ASA filament yet? It's said to have high strength and chemical resistance like ABS but better UV and weather resistance so outside items retain shape and color better over time. It prints similarly to ABS but with less print cooling. Can be acetone-smoothed.
I bought a roll of Fliamentum/Filament@ne natural and made one print with it so far. At recommended settings it printed very easily and the print came out exceptionally well. It didn't seem to smell much, either, but maybe that's just me.
Looking for feedback from those who have used it more before I buy more. Filament@One is offering a 30% year end discount that make the effective price $24 per 750g spool w/free shipping. Code is YEARENDSALE
I bought a roll of Fliamentum/Filament@ne natural and made one print with it so far. At recommended settings it printed very easily and the print came out exceptionally well. It didn't seem to smell much, either, but maybe that's just me.
Looking for feedback from those who have used it more before I buy more. Filament@One is offering a 30% year end discount that make the effective price $24 per 750g spool w/free shipping. Code is YEARENDSALE
7
General Discussion / Re: using flat printbeds with Z-Sense -> Buildtak instead of perfboard
« on: December 17, 2016, 12:49:12 PM »
Haven't tried BT yet for the same reasons as Julia but I love the PEI/Ultem surface on my Prusa i3 MK2. After a quick pre-print clean using a paper towel and 70% IPA, prints of PLA, ABS, ASA, PETG, TPU and nGen stick well but pop off easily after a little careful prying.
However, after about 300 hours the surface seemed to have lost some of it's adhesion and several parts got knocked off. Adjusting nozzle temp, bed temp and nozzle gap up and down brought no joy so I took a chance and lightly burnished the surface with fine ScotchBrite wetted with IPA. Viola! It works again and seems to be staying good. Nothing ever dripped on it, nor was it touched by anything except fingers ands scrapers so I don't know if this was due to a natural chemical change in the surface or maybe I was too zealous about cleaning. Whatever, I haven't had to "sand" it again so I'm a happy puppy.
I backed the Steelmans LokBuild KS project, which reports that shipping has begun. So with luck, I should have a 203 X 203mm sheet within a month.... or so. They don't say it's PEI/Ultem but it sound like it. I will try it on the Zortrax and report. Thanks again to Julia for the Z-Sense, which will make this easy.
However, after about 300 hours the surface seemed to have lost some of it's adhesion and several parts got knocked off. Adjusting nozzle temp, bed temp and nozzle gap up and down brought no joy so I took a chance and lightly burnished the surface with fine ScotchBrite wetted with IPA. Viola! It works again and seems to be staying good. Nothing ever dripped on it, nor was it touched by anything except fingers ands scrapers so I don't know if this was due to a natural chemical change in the surface or maybe I was too zealous about cleaning. Whatever, I haven't had to "sand" it again so I'm a happy puppy.
I backed the Steelmans LokBuild KS project, which reports that shipping has begun. So with luck, I should have a 203 X 203mm sheet within a month.... or so. They don't say it's PEI/Ultem but it sound like it. I will try it on the Zortrax and report. Thanks again to Julia for the Z-Sense, which will make this easy.
8
Materials Compatibility / Re: PLA raft removal
« on: October 22, 2016, 04:52:45 PM »
Yes, it does. That said, here's some add'l info:
The ZT-HE contains a short length of PTFE tubing, which in theory limits its use to around 250℃. I say in theory because some users have run it well above that level for extended periods. I'm one of them and I haven't yet experienced a real failure. I did change my tubing once, just to see how it looked. One end was somewhat crispy but despite that it was still working fine. I saw no crispy bits in my prints or other anomalies and it was still pretty easy to remove the PTFE tubing with a drill so no harm, no foul. Since changing the tubing I have put another 150 to 200 hours on it at Z-ABS temperatures and all seems normal. This time I'm going to wait 'til it tells me before I change it.
BTW, I find I can change the hot-end in about five minutes, even with the double fan mod that gets in the way, requiring removal of the fans. So if the tubing concerns you just use the ZT-HE for PLA, etc. then swap in the V2 for printing Z-materials. The ZT-HE is really great for PLA and similar but I think the V2 prints Z-materials with less stringing and blobs anyway so I use it for that. Or, just use the ZT-HE for everything and don't worry. Changing the tubing only adds a couple of minutes to a hot-end swap and PTFE tubing is cheap so it's really NBD.
Lastly, and here's where I begin to sound like a Z-Temp reseller (I'm not), give the Z-Sense a look. It not only lets you skip the whole shim thing but I find it also gives me full control of bed adhesion when printing Z-materials. When a part is large and thin and I know I'll need good adhesion to avoid warping, I set the gap very small and live with the struggle of prying the part from the bed. With parts that aren't likely to warp I open the gap and the prints pop right off.
Good luck.
Jeff
The ZT-HE contains a short length of PTFE tubing, which in theory limits its use to around 250℃. I say in theory because some users have run it well above that level for extended periods. I'm one of them and I haven't yet experienced a real failure. I did change my tubing once, just to see how it looked. One end was somewhat crispy but despite that it was still working fine. I saw no crispy bits in my prints or other anomalies and it was still pretty easy to remove the PTFE tubing with a drill so no harm, no foul. Since changing the tubing I have put another 150 to 200 hours on it at Z-ABS temperatures and all seems normal. This time I'm going to wait 'til it tells me before I change it.
BTW, I find I can change the hot-end in about five minutes, even with the double fan mod that gets in the way, requiring removal of the fans. So if the tubing concerns you just use the ZT-HE for PLA, etc. then swap in the V2 for printing Z-materials. The ZT-HE is really great for PLA and similar but I think the V2 prints Z-materials with less stringing and blobs anyway so I use it for that. Or, just use the ZT-HE for everything and don't worry. Changing the tubing only adds a couple of minutes to a hot-end swap and PTFE tubing is cheap so it's really NBD.
Lastly, and here's where I begin to sound like a Z-Temp reseller (I'm not), give the Z-Sense a look. It not only lets you skip the whole shim thing but I find it also gives me full control of bed adhesion when printing Z-materials. When a part is large and thin and I know I'll need good adhesion to avoid warping, I set the gap very small and live with the struggle of prying the part from the bed. With parts that aren't likely to warp I open the gap and the prints pop right off.
Good luck.
Jeff
9
Materials Compatibility / Re: PLA raft removal
« on: October 22, 2016, 01:59:15 PM »
By using -40℃ on the Z-Temp you printed at ~ 235℃ (Zortrax's Z-ABS setting is nominally 275℃, higher at startup). That's pretty hot for PLA, so hot I'll be surprised if you can remove that raft at all... without shedding blood.
eSun recommends a print temp of 190℃ to 210℃, which would be -85℃ to -65℃ on the Z-Temp. Suggest you give that a try and see how it works.
PS - I don't know how typical this is but I found my M200 prints PLA best at the low end of recommended settings, at least if I want to get the rafts off. Please note that my findings are using Julia's ZT-HE hotend. I have no experience using Z-Temp with the V2.
eSun recommends a print temp of 190℃ to 210℃, which would be -85℃ to -65℃ on the Z-Temp. Suggest you give that a try and see how it works.
PS - I don't know how typical this is but I found my M200 prints PLA best at the low end of recommended settings, at least if I want to get the rafts off. Please note that my findings are using Julia's ZT-HE hotend. I have no experience using Z-Temp with the V2.
10
General Discussion / Re: Z-Suite 1.7, Firmware 1.0.5 - compatible?
« on: September 23, 2016, 09:44:51 AM »
Yes, all of the products Julia offers are running happily on my M200 with 1.0.5. I don't think any of them care about the slicer but the Mac version of Z-Suite V1.0.7 works fine.... after I wait nearly the two minutes it takes to boot 
.
.
11
Materials Compatibility / Re: Nanodax Glass-Wool-Filled-Polypropylene
« on: September 22, 2016, 09:12:14 AM »
Hi Naoto,
I also ordered a PP sheet and expect it to arrive today. It is .093"/2.36mm thick X 12"/305mm X 24"/610mm so I'll have plenty to use for experiments. Now that I know what happened to you I'll try increasing the nozzle gap, lowering nozzle temp and no bed heat. I'll post my results.
This is just for fun, however. I'm perfectly happy with the way GWPP sticks to packing tape and expect to enjoy the same success as you and Julia printing it directly onto the M200's bed.
Jeff
I also ordered a PP sheet and expect it to arrive today. It is .093"/2.36mm thick X 12"/305mm X 24"/610mm so I'll have plenty to use for experiments. Now that I know what happened to you I'll try increasing the nozzle gap, lowering nozzle temp and no bed heat. I'll post my results.
This is just for fun, however. I'm perfectly happy with the way GWPP sticks to packing tape and expect to enjoy the same success as you and Julia printing it directly onto the M200's bed.
Jeff
12
Materials Compatibility / Re: Nanodax Glass-Wool-Filled-Polypropylene
« on: September 16, 2016, 08:19:38 AM »
Naoto,
Do you have the PP sheet yet? Does it lie flat enough on the bed with just clips around the edges?
Jeff
Do you have the PP sheet yet? Does it lie flat enough on the bed with just clips around the edges?
Jeff
13
Materials Compatibility / Re: Nanodax Glass-Wool-Filled-Polypropylene
« on: September 14, 2016, 01:09:29 PM »
Ooops. I thought it was you. Just another example of what happens when you ass-ume.
Sorry to whomever I might have offended.
Sorry to whomever I might have offended.
14
Materials Compatibility / Re: Nanodax Glass-Wool-Filled-Polypropylene
« on: September 14, 2016, 10:00:19 AM »
Yesterday I tried printing GWPP for the first time. My Zortrax was tied up so I printed a vase designed by Julia on my Original Prusa i3 Mk2 that I built from Josef’s kit. (BTW, it is proving to be an excellent printer at a very modest price), I scaled Julia’s vase down a bit but otherwise it's exactly as she designed it.
Before I made the print I had one false start. As the printer was laying down the third layer the GWPP began to curl up at the edges and during the next layer the nozzle grabbed it and knocked it off the build plate. Clearly, not enough adhesion to the packing tape so I added a little bed heat (50℃) and started again. See the photos for the results.
I sliced the model using Simplify3D. The main settings were are as follows - I will supply any other settings upon request:
Nozzle orifice - 0.4mm
Nozzle - 230℃
Bed - 50℃
Extrusion Multiplier - 1.00
Extrusion width - .45mm
Retraction distance - 0.80mm
Retraction speed - 1800.0mm/min
Coasting distance - 0.20mm
Wipe distance - 2.00mm
Bottom layers - 4
Shells - 4
No support
Print fans - 0%
Layer height - 0.200mm
Default printing speed - 2400.0mm/min
I am very happy with the way this material printed and look forward to doing more with it. The process is easy-peasy. Simply lay down packing tape as a base and GWPP prints at “normal" settings as nicely as other materials. With a little bed heat adhesion is strong but not too strong - the print popped off easily and cleanly.
Although the vase has very thin sides and bottom, my “squeeze tests” suggest it is very strong but still somewhat flexible. It is very light and as near as I can tell, perfectly waterproof.
One note: The bed surface on this printer is what I believe is a sheet of PEI (Ultem). I laid down packing tape where I knew the vase would be printing but forgot that at the start of each print this printer also prints a line about 80mm long at the front of the bed, just to clear the nozzle and get the plastic moving. As it turns out, GWPP adheres to PEI so well it can’t be scraped off and heat doesn’t help. With a lot of careful work I got most of it off and that spot is outside the print area anyway so it doesn’t affect me. However, I’d avoid printing GWPP directly onto a PEI (Ultem) surface as it may prove very difficult to remove.
Before I made the print I had one false start. As the printer was laying down the third layer the GWPP began to curl up at the edges and during the next layer the nozzle grabbed it and knocked it off the build plate. Clearly, not enough adhesion to the packing tape so I added a little bed heat (50℃) and started again. See the photos for the results.
I sliced the model using Simplify3D. The main settings were are as follows - I will supply any other settings upon request:
Nozzle orifice - 0.4mm
Nozzle - 230℃
Bed - 50℃
Extrusion Multiplier - 1.00
Extrusion width - .45mm
Retraction distance - 0.80mm
Retraction speed - 1800.0mm/min
Coasting distance - 0.20mm
Wipe distance - 2.00mm
Bottom layers - 4
Shells - 4
No support
Print fans - 0%
Layer height - 0.200mm
Default printing speed - 2400.0mm/min
I am very happy with the way this material printed and look forward to doing more with it. The process is easy-peasy. Simply lay down packing tape as a base and GWPP prints at “normal" settings as nicely as other materials. With a little bed heat adhesion is strong but not too strong - the print popped off easily and cleanly.
Although the vase has very thin sides and bottom, my “squeeze tests” suggest it is very strong but still somewhat flexible. It is very light and as near as I can tell, perfectly waterproof.
One note: The bed surface on this printer is what I believe is a sheet of PEI (Ultem). I laid down packing tape where I knew the vase would be printing but forgot that at the start of each print this printer also prints a line about 80mm long at the front of the bed, just to clear the nozzle and get the plastic moving. As it turns out, GWPP adheres to PEI so well it can’t be scraped off and heat doesn’t help. With a lot of careful work I got most of it off and that spot is outside the print area anyway so it doesn’t affect me. However, I’d avoid printing GWPP directly onto a PEI (Ultem) surface as it may prove very difficult to remove.
15
General Discussion / Re: Z-Temp HE PTFE tube maintenance
« on: August 29, 2016, 02:35:50 PM »
Thanks Zen and Julia. You are confirming that I'm not out in left field standing under a piano. (uh, can you spell mixed metaphor? 
)
Since I installed my ZT HE I have printed a fair amount of both Z-ABS and UltraT, letting Zortrax set the temps. So far I haven't noticed any changes in performance, burnt stuff in the print, etc. Also, I tried printing UltraT at 240℃ and Z-ABS at 255℃ and both seemed to work. But sometimes it's quiet.... too quiet.... so I thought I'd ask.
From what you've said it sounds like my PTFE tube is probably crispy already. However, since that doesn't seem to be hurting anything and I can probably print Z-ABS even lower, I think I'll let sleeping hotends lie (there I go again) and start my Z-ABS task at about 245℃. If anyone cares, I'll let you know how that goes.
Tnx again,
Jeff
) Since I installed my ZT HE I have printed a fair amount of both Z-ABS and UltraT, letting Zortrax set the temps. So far I haven't noticed any changes in performance, burnt stuff in the print, etc. Also, I tried printing UltraT at 240℃ and Z-ABS at 255℃ and both seemed to work. But sometimes it's quiet.... too quiet.... so I thought I'd ask.
From what you've said it sounds like my PTFE tube is probably crispy already. However, since that doesn't seem to be hurting anything and I can probably print Z-ABS even lower, I think I'll let sleeping hotends lie (there I go again) and start my Z-ABS task at about 245℃. If anyone cares, I'll let you know how that goes.
Tnx again,
Jeff