8 November 2025
Why is nothing easy ...
Last night I spotted that while the laser printer is configured for 40 by 41cm, the ACTUAL full range is 15mm smaller and as a result the mdf I was cutting was messed up. I need to go back and reset the software for 385mm by 395mm! Still big enough for the 380mm sq profiles that freelaserfiles provide, but they need to be tighter to 0, rather than in the middle of a 40x40cm panel. I've managed to get two of three sheets cut correctly, for the start of the marble run projects, but the third needs reworking and I'd used my last sheet of 3mm MDF. Need to see if I can source something quickly, but I think that an order for a batch of 25 40x60cm sheets looks like the best compromise on price. Ready cut kits are looking a little more attractive when it comes to material costs. Nut since I'm heading to scratch build I just need something to play with for now.
Changing the extruder on the 3D printer also brought problems, but fortunately ones that were easier to overcome. First rule on the sheet ... put the Allen keys back in the right place! I invested in a new combined set as my old one is lacking many sizes, especially the smaller ones. It SHOULD just be a matter of sorting them out from the large box full of loose ones, but despite there being a large selection, things like the 1.5mm one to loosen the grub screws on the extruder drive cog are just not there, so I was glad I had the clean set. The problem is compounded a little by the Taig kit using mainly imperial bolts so I need a clean set of keys for that, which stays with the mill and lathe. It's the smaller metric stuff that can be a bit elusive, but I will endeavour complement the full kit with sets specific to each machine.
So I managed to disassemble the parts from the leg of the printer, but the bolts used on that were too long for the new arm. Another modification perhaps would be to make a thicker pad for the stepper motor so that the same bolts could be used, but since I have a large stock of new ones it should have been easy to fit shorter ones? Only problem was that the heads on all my new stock are just too big for the metalwork on the extruder, so I ended up opening up the pocket for the main screws to allow the larger head to fit. In hindsight I could probably just have fitted even longer bolts with washers, but the result is neat and everything is now in line. The cog on the stepper motor needed turning over but is now closer to the motor body which has to help.
One of the next jobs will be to tidy up the cabling since routing has changed from the original setup and I think I need to print up some ducts to hide the slack and keep the wiring clear from the belts since the controller is now at the top of the frame. The arm for the extruder also provides a way to lift the flexible duct to the X axis and keep that clear of the belts as well. I think a little spring will further improve that area as it still drops when the head is closer to the back of the bed, and just catches the left hand belt a little.
So the next step is back to the calibration process although I've just loaded up the original 3dBenchy code to see how that fairs with the changes. I can then adjust settings for the 0.14mm layer profile and see if that helps, but the first step is to play with the bed levelling and height and try and get it better across the whole bed. The new arm was a little rough on the bottom at the stepper motor end, so the back of the bed needs lifting a little.
To add to the fun I have a niggle with the website code which is messing up inclusion of images on the page, so something else to distract from the mechanical stuff.