Opensource 3D Printing

4D Minus 1D

Printer Assembly and Maintenance Manual Opensource 3D Printing

Iain Letourneau Nathaniel Hupman Mathias Gossen

Table of Contents

Preparation Section 1 Page 3

Z-Stage Section 2 Page 15

X and Y-Stage Section3 Page 20

Stepstruder (MK7) Section 4 Page 41

Safety Cutoff Section 5 Page 75

Body Section 6 Page 87

Electronics Installation Section 7 Page 122

Update the Firmware Section 8 Page 155

Quick-Start Guide Section 9 Page 162

Proper Belt Tensioning Section 10 Page 183

Testing Your Bot Section 11 Page 185

How to Print Section 12 Page 197

Maintenance and Upkeep Section 13 Page 210

Fine Tuning & Calibration Section 14 Page 212

How to Print Raftlessly Section 15 Page 226

Troubleshooting your Thingomatic Section 16 Page 229

Section 1 Preparation

Before we start building, we need to do a few things to make the process go a bit more smoothly. Follow the instructions on this page closely, because this will make the whole process easier. Documentation

First step: read the documentation, so nothing is unexpected. Read it all the way through, from beginning to end, before you start putting anything together.

Then, go ahead and start following the instructions on this page, followed by each of the other build steps. Software

First off, we’ll gather and install the software and drivers required for the Thing-O-Matic to work with your computer. Kit Contents

Open box and separate contents into piles.

Make sure that you keep everything well-organized; there’s nothing worse than losing a small but essential part! Tools

Most of the tools needed for assembling a MakerBot Thing-O-Matic are included with the kit, but there are a few other common tools you’ll need.

This page will give you a comprehensive list of everything you might need. About t-slots

Many parts of the Thing-O-Matic use a special construction: a combination of interconnecting slots held together by a nut and bolt. This page will give you a primer about how to properly make these connections for many years of service. Laser-cut Parts

Take your laser cut wood parts. Find the small notch along each cut and apply gentle pressure to pop out all the cut pieces.

Take a cloth and wipe down the edges of all the cuts to remove the residue from the laser. Build Platforms

Open the bag for the Heated Build Platform Aluminum Plate.

Identify the pieces of the Automated Build Platform (ABP) and put them aside. You’ll be building the Heated Build Platform configuration. Metal Rods

Remove metal rods from bags. Both bags and rods will be greasy. Slit the bottom of the bags to remove rods. Wipe each rod down with your rag.

Stepper Motors

Locate the stepper motors. Prepare the X and Y stepper motors.

The motor pulley for the Y-Stage should have a 1/4 inch offset.

The motor pulley for the X-Stage should have a 1-2mm offset.

Tighten one of the screws against the flat edge of the rod. You’ll be adjusing the height later when the motor is in the bot.

This is how you adjust the idler pulley:

Tape wires

Take the kapton tape and wrap the stepper motor wires every 5 inches.

Wires

Remove the wires from the Automated Build Platform box and use the kapton tape to tape these wires together.

Assemble Idler Pulley Stack

 Idler  3 M4 25mm bolts  12 M4 25mm nuts  3 bearings  Allen wrench  pliers

Take an M4 25mm screw and bearing, Next take a nut and the allen wrench. Hold the nut with your fingers and turn the allen wrench to tighten the nut against the bearing. Put another nut on the screw. Take the wood idler piece with 3 holes. The bearing goes towards the back, tighten to the wood with 2 more nuts. You’ll need pliers to tighten.

You should have a bearing, two nuts, the wood and two more nuts.

Complete Idler Rib Assembly

Repeat this process 3 more times. The finished piece should look like this:

Tighten

The nuts should be tightened against each other to “lock” them in.

Y-Stage Front and Back

 2 press fit/linear bearings  Back piece of Y-Stage (Makerbot logo)  Front piece of Y-Stage (Makerbot logo) 8

The press fit/linear bearing will only fit in one hole of the Front and Back pieces. Put the linear bearing in the wood where you see the red circle with the black M and turn the piece over. Gently apply pressure to fix the bearing into the wood. Do the same for the other piece.

X-Stage

 front piece of the X-Stage  back piece of the X-Stage  4 press fit/linear bearings

Using a file, sand down the center slot about 1 mm. Then sand down an additional millimeter at the center of the slot. This will provide clearance for the belt as it moves through this gap.

Fit the bearings in the pieces, turn over on a flat surface and gently press into place.

The Bottom and Top of Z-Stage

 Bottom of Z-Stage  Top of the Z Stage  4 press fit/linear bearings

To fix the bearings in the holes, place them in the holes, turn the wood over and lay on a flat surface. Gently apply pressure to push the bearings into place.

Pay attention to the orientation of the bearings. Both sets of bearings must be in the down position.

Locate the Z-Stage Motor

Your Thing-O-Matic will come with the Moons Stepper motor. This is the stepper with the rod attached to it.

Bolt the Z-Stage Motor Flange to Top

 Stepper motor flange  Z-Stage Back  4 M2x10 bolts  4 M2x10 nuts

The Moons stepper motor flange will be on the Stepper Motor rod.

Attach Flange

Insert 4 M2x10 bolts (you’ll find these bolts in a small bag).

Insert the bolts through the nut as shown. When assembling the Z-stage the flange should face upward. Place an M2 washer on the back of each bolt. Screw a nut onto each bolt and tighten. It is essential that the flange is attached tightly. Vibration during printing will loosen up the nuts and bolts. This is a difficult piece to adjust once it is in the bot.

Attach thumb wheel

Locate two thumb screw knobs and two M5 bolts. (You’ll have three if you have a Stepstruder MK6+ in your kit.) You’ll find these parts with the Stepstruder kit. Using two pliers press each knob onto a M5 bolt as shown below. 2 of the bolts are the same size. One will be longer.

You’re done with the Prep stage.

Section 2 Z-Stage Assembly

Parts List

These are the parts you’ll need to assemble the Z Stage. All laser-cut parts should have their names etched into them. Find and put aside these parts:

 Laser-cut Stage Parts o Z Back o Z Top o Z Bottom o Z Left Side o Z Right Side o Z Ribs  One Z Motor Flange*  Four (4) M3x10 socket cap bolts or Four (4) M2x10 socket cap bolts with nuts*  Eighteen (18) M3x16 socket cap bolts  Eighteen (18) M3 nuts

 Four (4) 3/8″ self-aligning bearings*

*These parts should have been put in place during the preparation stage. Attach Ribs to Back

Parts needed:

 2 Z Ribs  Z Back  2 M3x16 socket cap bolts  2 M3 nuts

Secure the two Rib pieces to the Back. These ribs are symmetrical, so they just need to look like the picture.

Attach Left, Right and Bottom to Back

Parts needed:

 Assembled back  Z Left  Z Back  11 M3x16 socket cap bolts  11 M3 nuts

Secure the Left and Right sides to the Back. In the newest versions the printed text goes right- side-up on the inside. In older versions (pictured below) the printed text goes on the outside and ends up upside-down. After securing Left and Right sides, attach to the Bottom (pay attention to the orientation of the self-aligning bearings).

Attach Top to Assembly

Parts needed:

 Assembled back  Z Top  6 M3x16 socket cap bolts  6 M3 nuts

This will lock things in place nicely. This piece is also symmetrical.

Tighten It All Down

Now that it’s all together, tighten all the bolts with 1/4- to 1/3-turns past hand tight.

Your Z Stage is now complete

Section 3 X and Y-Stage Assembly

Parts List

These are the parts you’ll need to assemble the Y stage. All laser-cut parts should have their names etched onto them. Find and put aside these parts:

 Laser-cut Stage Parts o Y Front

o Y Back o Y Top o Y Bottom o Y Left Side o Y Right Side o Y Left Top Cap o Y Right Top Cap o Y Drive Rib o Y Idler Rib Assembly o Y Clamps  Four (4) M3x10 socket cap bolts  Four (4) M3x16 Low-profile socket cap bolts (they are silver-colored)  Thirty-one (31) M3x16 socket cap bolts  Thirty-five (35) M3 nuts  Three (3) M4x25 socket cap bolts  One (1) M4x50 socket cap bolt  Fourteen (14) M4 nuts  Two (2) 3/8″ self-aligning bearings  Three (3) 624 bearings  One (1) stepper motor  One (1) stepper motor pulley  One (1) cork gasket (not shown)  One (1) idler pulley  272-tooth continuous timing belt (Early May 2011 and on may be a 267-tooth belt)  One (1) mechanical endstop switch (not shown)  Two (2) 1/8″ spacers (not shown)

Build it

What you should be starting with

We should have prepared these parts in our “Prep” phase:

Attach Y Belt to Drive Rib parts needed:

 272-tooth (or 267-tooth) continuous timing belt  2 Y Clamps  Drive Rib  4 M3x16 bolts  4 M3x16 nuts

Take the 272-tooth (or 267-tooth) continuous timing belt and use the two clamps to secure it to the drive rib. Make sure it’s nice and tight as clearance with the Y rods is very close.

Attach Top to Idler Rib Assembly parts needed:

 Y Top  Idler Rib (assembled in prep stage)  1 M3x16 bolt  1 M3x16 nuts

Attach Top to Ribs parts needed:

 Y Top  Y Driver Rib  1 M3x16 bolt  1 M3x16 nuts

The holes will guide you, and the 624 bearings on the Idler Rib should be towards the left (the side with the elongated motor mount holes, behind the empty bearing hole).

Attach Motor to Top parts needed:

 Y-Stage  Cork Gasket  4 M3x10 bolts

Attach the motor to the top using four M3x10 bolts, keeping the bolts loose. Push it all the way against the bolts that secure the 624 bearings to the Idler Rib but do not tighten down firmly. (You will be adjusting the placement of the X-axis stepper motor after you determine how much tautness/slack is in your belt.)

Attach Rod Caps to the Left Side parts needed:

 Y Left  2 Rod Caps (the little curved triangles with two holes in them)  4 low-profile M3x16 bolts (the heads are shorter than those of the standard M3x16 bolts; they are silver-colored)  2 M3x16 nuts

From outside-to-in: it should be M3 bolts + rod caps + left side + nut. Tighten the bottom screws down.

Modify Rod Caps

Remove the top bolts and turn the rod caps down to reveal the holes for the rods.

Sand Rod Caps

Remove the top of each set of screws and rotate rod cap down. You will sand the rod caps, this will make adjusting the bot later easier—You’ll be able to remove the rods easily.

You need the notch so that you can remove a rod when you need to tighten your belt. The picture below shows why you cannot tighten the belt with the rods in place

Add front parts needed:

 Y Body  Y Front  4 M3x16 bolts  4 M3x16 nuts

Pay attention to the belt.

Add Back parts needed:

 Y Body  Y Back  4 M3x16 bolts  4 M3x16 nuts

Pay attention to the belt.

Attach Left Side to the Body parts needed:

 Y Left  Y Body  3 M3x16mm bolts  3 M3x16mm nuts

With the text on the outside, attach the left side to the Y stage body. Make sure the rod caps are facing out. Double check that “Left” has low-profile socket cap bolts. Attach Rod Caps to the Right Side

Using four M3x16mm bolts and four nuts, secure the other two rod caps to the right side.

Attach Right Side to the Body parts needed:

 Y Body  Y Right  3 M3x16mm bolts  3 M3x16mm nuts Attach X Min Switch (End Stop) to Right Top Cap parts needed:

 Right Top  2 1/8″ spacers  1 M3x16mm bolt  1 M3x12mm bolt  2 M3x16mm nuts

Attach Right Top Cap, Idler Bolt, and Idler Pulley

The idler pulley rides an M4x50 bolt. Thread the M4x50 bolt through the top cap, then through the idler pulley with the belt looped around it. Place the bolt through the hole and install the top cap. The bolt gets two nuts on the bottom underneath after you get it all in place. Make sure the belt is around both pulleys before you move on to the next step.

Don’t tighten it down too hard or you’ll crack the wood.

Right Top Cap

Secure the Right Top Cap with two M3x16 bolts. The T-slot under the endstop will be empty.

Tighten

Lock the nuts against each other to prevent it from vibrating off.

Insert 1 rod into the Y stage

Inserting the rod and attaching the X stage has to happen at the same time. These rods are the shortest rods in the kit.

Adjust Belt.

Pull the motor towards the left to tighten belt. Tighten screws.

Second Rod

Add second rod, turn rod caps to cover holes and tighten the screws. Attach Left End Cap

This piece goes over the motor. Tighten it down.

Complete Left Side

Attach Bottom parts needed:

 Y Body  Y Bottom  5 M3x16mm bolts  5 M3x16mm nuts

If you’ve tightened all the bolts down already, this may be a bit hard to get on. Loosen everything a bit and it will slide right on.

You can use a magnet to hold the nut in place:

Zip-Tie Stepper Motor Tail

This will help make sure that the wires stay out of the way and don’t get caught under the platform while it’s moving.

Tighten All Bolts

Ensure that all the bolts are tight.

You’ve completed the XY Stage

Section 4 MakerBot Stepstruder MK7

The MakerBot Stepstruder MK7 is our first dedicated 1.75 mm filament extruder. This extruder was designed from scratch, and contains a number of custom manufactured parts. We’ve learned a lot over our past extruder designs, and incorporated a lot of those lessons here: that’s why it’s smaller, lighter, and faster to build. And since it’s designed from the ground up for 1.75 mm filament, it’s light-years ahead of past designs in small-filament reliability.

1. Gather your tools

Provided: 1.3, 1.5 and 2 mm hex wrenches. Not Provided: Small flat head screw driver, pliers.

2. Gather your parts!

The main assemblies here are these four:

 Hot End: Nozzle, Heater Block, Barrel, Bar Mount, Bolt, Heater Core, Thermocouple(found in Gen4 electronics kit), Ceramic Tape, Kapton Tape

 Cooling block: Fan, Heatsink, Themostat, 5/8″ Spacers, Long Bolts

 Drive system: Stepper Motor, Knurled Pulley, Setscrew, Molded Drive Block, Delrin Plunger, Rubber and Metal Washers

 Extruder mount: Mounting Panel, Spacers, Thumb Screws*

*You put these together in the prep stage

3. Assemble thumb screws

If you haven’t done this previously, you’ll need to assemble the thumb screws.

You need two M5x20 bolts and two M5 thumb screw caps.

Using pliers squeeze each bolt into a cap. Be careful not to damage the threads.

Squeeze the bolt head into the cap to ensure a secure fit.

Tip: Two pliers can be used at the same time. We recommend you use pliers with long handles, for best leverage.

You should have two M5x20 thumb screws.

4. Attach drive gear to motor

You need your

 stepper motor  drive gear  M3 set screw  and smallest (1.3mm) hex wrench

1. Disconnect the existing motor cable.

2. Place the drive gear over the motor shaft. Place a piece of paper between the drive gear and motor to create a small gap.

3. Tighten the set screw against the flat of the motor shaft. If the set screw doesn’t fit well against the flat section of the shaft, turn the pulley around 180 degrees and set the screw firmly — this should provide more than enough grip.

4. Then you can attach the longer cable we’ve supplied, and your motor should be ready to go. 5. Assemble the drive head.

You need:

 the stepper motor assembly  drive block front  drive block back  Delrin plunger  two M3x18 flat head bolt  two plastic washers  three metal washers  1.5 mm hex key

1. Place the plastic and metal washers on the Delrin plunger as shown.

2. Place the drive block back on the motor with the cable facing away from you as shown.

3. Place the plunger assembly in space on the right for single configuration. This is also the configuration for the left-hand side extruder in dual extruder configuration.

4. Place the drive block front on the assembly.

5. Place 2 M3x18 bolts in the holes and tighten.

6. Ensure that your assembly appears as shown below:

7. Ensure that the alignment between the filament channel and the MK7 drive gear is good.

6. Assemble the bar mount and thermal barrier

You need:

 the bar mount  thermal barrier tube  one M6 nut  the supplied wrench

1. Orient the bar mount such that the chamfered edges face you and the horizontal holes are close to the top. If you don’t do this, the bar mount will not fit into the rest of the assembly.

Thread the thermal barrier tube into the bar mount.

2. Loosely thread the M6 nut onto the thermal barrier.

3. Turn the thermal barrier until it is flush with the M6 nut. Finger tighten.

4. Grip the M6 nut with the wrench and tighten against the bar mount.

5. Check that your assembly looks like this.

The lip of the barrel should be just barely poking up, but no threads should be showing.

6. As a safety check, look down the barrel, preferably towards a bright surface. You should not see any metal burrs inside the barrel. If you do, push a short length of filament all the way through, and then discard the used filament. Metal burrs left inside will cause severe jamming, and require you to take the entire hot-end apart.

7. Assemble the thermal core and nozzle

You need:

 the nozzle  thermal core  2.5 mm hex key

1. Place the hex key through the thermal core. This will give you a good grip. Then, thread the nozzle into the side with the small M3 hole.

2. Grip the nozzle with an adjustable wrench or pliers. Tighten the nozzle against the thermal core.

3. Once the nozzle is snugly in place, continue.

8. Assemble the mount plate and bar mount assembly

You will need:

 the mount plate  M6x10 bolt  M6 nut  bar mount assembly  the 10mm wrench

1. Thread the M6 bolt onto the thermal barrier, but don’t tighten it down yet.

2. Thread the M6 nut into the bar mount. Leave a several millimeter gap.

3. Place the mount place in front of you with the double notch on your left. Place the bar on top of the mount plate such that the thermal barrier is in the center. Ensure that your parts appear as shown.

4. Slip the mount plate into the gap between the bolt head and bar mount. The chamfered edges should face forwards. Ensure that your assembly appears as shown.

5. Use the wrench to tighten the M6 nut and bolt. You want the bolt and thermal barrier to be touching the back of their slot in the mount plate.

9. Mount the heater and temperature sensor

You need:

 the extruder assembly  cartridge heater  thermocouple  M3x5 bolt  M3 set screw  M3 washer  2.5 mm hex key

1. Insert the set screws for these components. Thread a socket head M3 and washer.

2. Next install the smaller set screw for the heater cartridge. Just turn it a few times, you do not want to obstruct the cartridge for insertion.

3. Place the cartridge heater in the thermal core with the wires toward the rear of the extruder. An equal length of the heater should protrude from either end.

4. If you received a recent MK7, you might have received a heater cartridge that looks like the one below. If so, simply insert the cartridge as fully as possible into the block. There will be enough metal contact to ensure good heat transfer.

5. Secure with the M3 set screw. Tighten only until you cannot push it out from the metal end by hand. Any tighter and you run the risk of stripping the threads.

6. Secure the thermocouple against the thermal core with the M3x5 bolt and M3 washer as shown. (Again, the thermocouple is found within a bag in the Generation 4 electronics kit if your Stepstruder MK7 came with a Thing-O-Matic kit.)

It is advisable to put a single layer of kapton tape over the head of the thermocouple to electrically insulate it from the extruder. This is required for all Dual-Extruder configurations, as two uninsulated thermocouples will interfere with each other.

Cover both sides of the thermocouple in Kapton tape.

Now, bend the tip of the thermocouple 90 degrees.

Place the thermocouple under the set screw washer and tighten it down.

Tip: It is easier to tighten in place if the hook points clockwise.

Once the thermocouple is securely bolted you’re ready for the next step.

10. Insulate the Heater

1. From a length of ceramic tape, measure and cut a 3-inch segment. Then, cover the ceramic tape with a layer of Kapton tape. You can use any width of kapton tape for the covering. This makes the insulation easier to work with and also helps thermally insulate the head.

2. Starting at one end, cut a 1cm long 5mm wide slot toward the center of the segment, skip along 1cm, and cut another 1cm slot. The center slot allows the nozzle and cartridge heater set screw to be accessed.

3. Place the insulation on the heater, so that the nozzle pokes up through the center slot. The “legs” of the insulation should be facing away from the cartridge heater.

4. Wrap the uncut insulation around the bottom, tape it down to the heater core, and tape the legs back to the body when they pass the barrel.

5. Next, add an extra 1/4″ piece of ceramic insulating tape to the side where you’ll mount the thermostat. Cut a 1/4″ piece of ceramic tape and install it like this, on the thermocouple side of the block:

6. Now tape thermostat to side of heater core that does NOT have the heater in it; you want it on the nozzle side so it doesn’t trip at normal operating temperatures.

11. Secure the thermal core assembly

You need:

 the mount plate assembly  the thermal core assembly

1. Thread the thermal core onto the thermal barrier.

2. Tighten the heater core down as tightly as you can with your fingers. The core might not line up perfectly with the slots as the illustration shows, but a solid connection is more important than the orientation.

3. Ensure that your assembly appears similar to what is shown. And again, your thermal core may not be in the same orientation as pictured.

12. Putting it all together

1. Place 2 M3x45 bolts in the fan as shown.

2. Place the spacers on the bolts. Note the orientation of the wires and label.

3. Place the fan assembly onto the heatsink.

4. Take the fan assembly and put the bolts through the mount bar and into the motor as shown.

5. Tighten the bolts down.

6. Your fully assembled MK7 should look like this:

13. Connect the fan extension cable

1. Solder 24 inches of black/red cable to the fan leads as shown, and insulate with heat-shrink tubing or kapton tape. If your fan has a plug or terminal at the end of its wires, you’ll need to clip it off before completing this step.

Your MK7 is built.

Section 5 MakerBot Safety Cutoff Kit 1.0 Rev D

If these instructions don’t match what you received in your kit, please see the Safety Cutoff Rev. C instructions.

The MakerBot Safety Cutoff Kit is a small kit designed to cut power to the heater in case of a catastrophic failure.

Contents of the Kit

 1 x Green Printed Circuit Board (PCB) with white printing on top (“Rev D” indicated)  2 x 1K Ω resistor, 1/6W (small, brown-black-red-gold bands) [R1] [R5]  1 x 10K Ω resistor, 1/6W (small, brown-black-orange-gold bands) [R2]  1 x 6.8K Ω resistor, 1/6W (small, blue-gray-red-gold bands) [R3]  1 x 120 Ω resistor, 2W (large, brown-red-brown-gold bands) [R4]  1 x black relay with 8 pins  3 x green, 2 pin terminal blocks  1 x red LED  1 x green LED  1 x black, SL type 4 pin connector  1 x MakerBot Endstop Cable  1 x Large Diode Assembly Instructions

Remove the tape from the ends of the components. Orient the board with the white printing on top and two large corner holes toward you.

You should see a a pair of circles in the top middle of the board, one labeled FAULT and the other labeled NORMAL. Place the red LED in the FAULT position and the green LED in the NORMAL position, with the longer lead in the hole toward the edge of the board and the shorter lead in the hole on the flat side of the circle. Confirm that the flat side of the LED matches up with the flat side of the circle printed on the PCB. Bend the leads out at 45º angles to hold in place.

Place the large 120 Ω resistor (brown-red-brown-gold bands) in the square on the lower left hand side of the board labeled [R4]. Bend the leads out to hold in place, with a bit of space between the resistor and the board.

Likewise find the two squares marked [R1] and [R5] on either side of the pair of LEDs. Insert a 1K Ω resistor (brown-black-red-gold bands) into each square. Bend the leads out to hold in place.

Find the square marked [R2] between the pair of LEDs and insert the 10K Ω resistor (brown- black-orange-gold bands). Bend the leads out to hold in place.

Find the square marked [R3] to the left of the [R1] square and insert 6.8K Ω resistor (blue-gray- red-gold bands). Bend the leads out to hold in place.

Solder the resistors and LED in place. Clip the tails from the soldered components.

Place the three green terminal blocks, FET 12V IN, HTR 12V OUT, and TEMP CUTOFF in position. Make sure that the openings are facing out! Then flip the board over so it rests on the three terminal blocks and solder them all in place.

Then it should rest on the terminal blocks so you can solder nicely while it’s upside-down…

Place the black SL type connector in the positon labeled ALERT. Make sure the connector lock faces inward as in the diagram and solder in place.

And then flip over again and solder…once again it should stay in place while upside-down.

After those terminals are in place, next add the relay and solder that as well.

And now for the tricky part.

The Rev. D version of this kit includes a large diode — this is the big thing that looks like a transistor or voltage regulator. We need to not only solder this through a couple of holes, but we also need to attach its heat sink to a large heat sink pad.

It’s just a bit difficult because we’re actually soldering a heat sink — which by definition can soak up a lot of heat. This means that we’ll be keeping our soldering irons in contact with the parts for much longer than we’re used to. Don’t worry — we’ll walk you through it.

First, we’ll tin the pad. Hold your iron with one side in good contact with the pad; after a few seconds try to add some solder. At first, a few jagged blobs might stick to the pad. That’s not good enough; we need to flow all the solder on the pad. Continue holding the iron on the pad 81

until the entire pad flows. When it gets to the melting temperature, the solder will suddenly get shinier and flatten out, spreading all over the pad. When it does that, it’s well-tinned; it should look like the picture below (or even smoother.)

Next, we’ll put the diode in place, and then bend the leads so it makes contact with the pad.

Next, I’d recommend bending the diode leads opposite each other to hold it in place better.

And now the trickiest part: actually soldering the heat sink down to the pad. Basically, all you have to do is hold the tip of your soldering iron through the hole in the diode’s heat sink. Slowly feed in some solder as it’s heating to make sure there’s enough flux. Eventually, all the solder will flow nicely; you’ll see it get shiny again, and suck down into the gap between the heat sink and pad. When this happens, add enough solder to also cover the top side of the heat sink.

Last, use another tool to hold the diode in place as the solder cools. Angled snippers are good for this task. Make sure you’re already holding the diode down as you remove the soldering iron so the contact is good as the solder cools and solidifies. When you’re done, the solder smoothly cover the hole over so it’s not even visible.

Now, flip the board over and solder the leads down. Use something from the workshop to prop up the diode if you need to.

And now you’re all done with soldering. Phew! 85

Install it in place on your bot!

Now that your board is soldered together, it’s time to mount it in place. One good place is the right side of the Z-stage.

There aren’t any holes, so we’ll have to drill them. Hold the board in place and use a pencil to make the position of the holes.

Then drill (carefully) with an electric drill. You’ll use a 3mm bolt, so a 1/8″ bit will work well. Vacuum up the sawdust before you continue!

Now just bolt it in place with some 1/8″ spacers and M3x16mm bolts and nuts.

Now that your safety cutoff board is in place, continue on to the body and electronics installation pages for instructions about how to connect the wiring up to the bot

Section 6 Thing-O-Matic Body Assembly

This is where things really start to come together, literally. We’ll be putting the frame together and then adding a the assemblies that you’ve been working on in the other sections. Lasercut Parts

First gather the lasercut parts for the body; it should look something like this:

 Laser-cut Stage Parts o Body Front o Body Back o Body Top o Body Middle (Acrylic) o Body Bottom o Body Left Side o Body Right Side o Rod Covers

Peel Backing off Middle Plate

Before assembling, peel off the protective sheet from the acrylic middle piece. Start the peel by using a blade at one corner. Be very careful not to cut yourself!

Identify and Mark Middle Plate

Getting the middle plate in the right orientation is a critical part of your build. The middle piece has a top and a bottom. The top has the word “Middle” etched into it. Orient it like this so that the stepper motor mount is in the back right corner.

Note: The word “Middle” is actually etched onto the bottom of the sheet in the first batch, just make sure it looks like the picture above.

Bolt Four Rod Stops to Middle Plate

Make sure to put these on the bottom of the middle piece. Use M3x16s to attach them. Install them with the socket caps up or the Y axis will hit the bolts holding the front Z rod stops.

Top Rod Caps

Rod Cap As Seen From Side

Lower Left Corner Rod Cap

Lower Right Corner Rod Cap

Bolt Y Motor to Back Right corner of Middle Plate parts needed:

 Cork gasket  Y Stepper Motor  Body Middle  4 M3x12 bolts

Add one cork gasket to the stepper motor and bolt it in place with four M3x12 bolts, making sure the wires are facing inward. We’ll adjust it later. When viewed with the motor shaft sticking up, the motor needs to be in the back right corner.

Mounting the Y-Axis Mechanical Endstop

Using two 1/4″ spacers and two M3x16 bolts, attach one endstop as shown.

Y Idler Assembly to Middle parts needed:

 Body Middle  idler pulley  1 M4x50 bolt  3 M4 nuts

Mount the idler pulley to the Middle. Take one M4x50 bolt, one Idler pulley, and three M4 nuts. The stackup looks like this:

M4 bolt + idler pulley (teeth down) + nut + middle + 2 nuts

Join Middle to Left

It’s extremely important to get the orientation of this right — the stepper driver and endstop switch should be towards the back, the fan should be on the left, and the idler pulley in the front. Any deviation from this arrangement will cause trouble later, and to change this, you’ll need to disassemble the body completely.

Join Middle to Right

Attach Top to Assembly

Now for the Top piece, as this will lock things in place. Use some bolts to lightly secure it in place.

Attach End Stop

Using 1/4″ spacers and 2 M3x16 bolts and 2 M3 nuts, attach the end stop to the right side of the back.

Attach Back

Attach the back to the body. Use only the Right Side t-slot for now. You can add the other after adjusting the stepper motor

Attach the Front

Use 2 M3x16 bolts and 2 M3 nuts.

Bolt PSU In Place

Using four shiny 6-32×3/8″ inch screws, attach the power supply to its designated spot on the left side.

If your power supply doesn’t line up properly, you may have installed the left panel of your Thing-O-Matic backwards.

Some recent orders may have included a “Sparkle” brand power supply that needs to be installed slightly differently. Here’s a photo of an installed unit. As you can see, the wings of the power cord port overlap with the lasercut side. To help with installation, you should have received 4x 1/8″ spacers — this will push the PSU back so the wings don’t need to protrude through the side opening.

In this photo, you’ll install a spacer for each bolt, indicated by a red arrow. Put the spacer between the lasercut side and the PSU itself.

Place XY Stage in Bot

The Front part of the XY stage should face towards the front of your Thing-o-matic.

Thread X Stepper Motor Wires

Thread the wires from the X Stepper through the hole in the back-left corner of the bot.

Add Y Stage Rod

The Y belt should line up with the motor. Insert the Y rods at the same time to lock it in place. These will be the middle length rods; they are only slightly shorter than the Z rods.

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Thread the Second Rod

Thread the second rod through the XY Stage. Align the bearings by wiggling the platforms gently. This will align the bearings close to their ideal position for smooth operation

Add Rod Covers to Front

Add the rest of the rod covers to lock the rods in place. Bolt them in with more M3x16 bolts.

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Place the Y Belt over the Pulley

Place the belt over the idler pulley.

Pull Belt Over Y Stepper

Loosen the bolts holding the stepper motor in place. Slide the stepper motor toward the machine’s inside. Place the belt over the stepper motor pulley. Note that the belt may be a tight fit at first, try placing the belt at an angle over one of the pulley edges to fit it on.

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Adjust Stepper Position

Slide the stepper motor back to tighten the belt. Tighten the bolts.

Now is the time to check if your pulley needs to be adjusted upwards.

Move the Y stage back as far as it will go, and check if the belt is rubbing against the lower edge of the hole where it goes thru the Y stage. Here is an example of a pulley installed too low:

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This is too loose:

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This is correct:

Make Adjustments

To adjust the pulley, with the Y stage all the way forward, loosen the bolts and slide the motor forward to loosen the belt and slip it off the pulley. Even if the set screws are below the level of the acrylic, you should now be able to slide the motor back and get enough clearance along the groove to get your Allen wrench to the set screws.

Loosen the set screws, and slide the pulley up a few millimeters. Put the belt back on, put a little tension on it and gently secure the motor in position, hand-tight for now. Now adjust the height of the pulley so that the belt clears the holes and runs level. This may require as much as 8mm of adjustment, but as long as the set screws can still tighten onto the motor shaft, it will be fine.

Run the Y stage back and forth, checking the pulley height. Tighten the set screws on the pulley, adjust the tension on the belt and bolt down the motor. Insert Z Stage

Insert the Z stage with the large piece towards the bottom. Insert the Z rods at the same time. These are the longest rods. Slide them all the way into their respective holes in the Middle where you’ve already mounted rod caps.

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Attach Z Motor

This will be the motor with the threaded shaft attached to it. Use a cork gasket between the Top and the motor

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Align Z Stepper

Mount Z stepper with four M3x12 bolts to the rear of the Top piece. Make sure the lead connection is facing to the right.

Thread Rod Through Z Stage

Turn the rod to thread it through t the bearing of the Z Stage

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Tighten Motor in Place

Tighten the four M3x12 bolts

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Add Rod Caps

Attach Stepstruder

Using the two M5 thumb screws that you made, attach the Stepstruder to the Z Stage. Secure it to the innermost holes on the bottom of the Z Stage. Make sure all your wires exit the heated area cleanly without coming in contact with heated parts. Tighten the bolts. It should now look like the picture below.

(the MK7 is similar in terms of attaching the thumbscrews)

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Thread Fan Wires

Thread the fan wires through the hole in the top-back-right hole.

Stepstruder DC Filament Drive and Thermocouple

The wire for the DC motor is a powerful emitter, and should be kept as far from the thermocouple wire as possible. Route the thermocouple through the back left and the DC motor through the back right.

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Attach wires to Z Stepper

Thread Z Stepper Wires

Thread the Z Stepper wires through the hole in the upper right corner.

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Add Ties

Add ties to keep wires in place.

Attach Heated Build Platform Cable

Attach the cable, tie up extra wire and then thread the wires through the front right corner hole.

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Clean up Heater Cartridge

Mark Holes to Fix Safety Cutoff in Place

(This section is for the MK6. If you have the MK7 you’ll have already mounted the safety cutoff )

With a pencil, align and mark holes to mount the safety cutoff on the Z Stage. Drill holes and then use 1/8″ spacers and 2 M3x16 bolts and 2 M3 nuts, secure the safety cutoff into place.

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Connect Ground and Power to Safety Cutoff

Using a small flat head screw driver, loosen the end terminals and place the red wire connected to the black wire the IN terminal and the black wire to the FET connection. Tighten the end terminals to secure wires in place.

Connect Thermostat’s Wires to Safety Cutoff

Using the same method as before secure the wires into place on the safety cutoff. It does not matter which wire goes to which terminal.

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Connect Heater Cartridge Wires to Safety Cutoff

Attach End Stop Cable to Safety Cutoff

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Attach Cable to End-Stop on Body Back

This one is tricky, but attach the cable to the end-stop on the back. Then thread the wires through the back -right hole.

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Connect Cable to End-Stop on XY Stage

Connect a cable to end-stop on XY Stage and then thread the other end through the front-right hole.

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Connect Cable to Y End-Stop

Connect cable to Y end-stop, then thread the other end through the front-left hole.

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You have completed the body assembly .

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Section 7 Electronics Installation

This section will show you how to install the electronics in the Thing-O-Matic. Before You Begin

Wiring up the electronics is a critical part of the build. There are quite a few wires to connect, but they are all fairly straightforward. To simplify the instructions, we’ve photographed each connection step. This is to show you clearly what things connect, and where. When you wire up your electronics, each step will build on the last and you will end up with dozens of cables going from board to board. Don’t worry, this is normal. Your Thing-O-Matic is a nicely complicated piece of modern technology that you will have built yourself.

Static Safety: these boards, like all electronics, are extremely vulnerable to damage by static electricity. Always ground yourself before handling electronics by touching a plugged-in power supply or another unpainted, conductive, grounded object.

Power & Connections: never, ever “hot-swap” any components, especially stepper motors. Always power down before plugging or un-plugging any electrical connection. A powered, enabled stepper driver will momentarily induce a serious amount of current when unplugged, and almost invariably damage the stepper driver in question. Making or breaking other connections may cause damage as well.

Power Supply Notes: The included Power Supply has protective circuitry that will prevent it from turning on immediately after a power outage. For that reason if you turn it off and it does not power up turn it off and wait five minutes for it to reset.

The included Power Supply has been tested for the US North American Market and though our manufacturer has specified that it will work with 220 50hz power if there are problems we suggest you replace it with a power supply from a local vendor.

Preparing Your Workspace

As is always the case when handling bare electronics, you should try to keep yourself and your workspace static-free. Touching a sink or large metal object is a good way to make sure that you’re not carrying a residual static charge that could damage a board. Working while wearing slippers on a thick pile carpet is not recommended.

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Disabling Auto-Reset Functionality

A classic problem with Arduino devices is that they are designed to be reset when certain serial lines are toggled. Unfortunately, the serial drivers for many operating systems toggle these lines by default when a serial port is opened. For many Arduino applications, this isn’t a problem; however, if you’re in the middle of a multi-hour print, accidentally resetting your machine can be very traumatic. We avoid this problem by cutting the reset trace on the Arduino MEGA, disabling the auto-reset functionality.

Note: If you received your Arduino MEGA as part of a Thing-O-Matic kit or a Generation 4 electronics kit, skip this step. We’ve already done it for you at our factory! You should only need to cut the reset trace yourself if you’ve purchased an Arduino MEGA separately from us, or from another source. Overview

Here is a stylized diagram that shows the overall electronics setup in for a Thing-O-Matic. You’ll need to read the rest of this page for details, but this should give you an overview of what you’ll be doing here.

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Assemble the Motherboard Stack

Note: Recent kits ship with the Arduino and motherboard pre-assembled. Just skip forward to the next section.

The motherboard is designed as a “shield” that plugs into the Arduino MEGA. Take your motherboard, line up the pins with the sockets in the Arduino MEGA, and with a slow, steady pressure fit them together. You may have to rock the board back and forth a little bit to get the motherboard seated properly. Take your time and don’t put too much pressure on any one edge or corner of the board to avoid bending any pins. Once the boards are tightly plugged together and you can no longer see a significant gap between the headers and the sockets, your board is fully assembled.

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Attach Rubber Feet to Bottom

Included in your hardware burrito are four small rubber feet. These are adhesive backed, so peel off the backing and then stick them onto the bottom plate as shown.

Attach Boards to Bottom Plate

The very first step is to get all the boards attached to the Bottom plate.

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Attach MotherBoard to Bottom Plate

Attach Motherboard to Bottom Plate using four 3/4″ spacers and four M3x30 bolts

Attach Extruder Controller to Bottom Plate

Using four 1/4″ spacers and four M3x16 bolts, attach the Extruder Controller to the bottom plate.

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Attach Stepper Motor Drivers to Bottom Plate

Using twelve 1/4″ spacers and twelve M3x16 bolts, attach all four Stepper Motor Drivers to the locations shown.

Route the Wires

Your wires should all be routed at this point, but here is summary of recommendations. The wires are to be run down on side of the machine to allow easy access to the electronics. The wires are separated into groups to avoid electrical noise.

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Wire Type Routing Hole

Thermocouple Back Left

Fan Back Left

X-Stage Stepper Back Left

Filament Tube (opt.) Back Left

DC Extruder Motor Back Right

Extruder Heater Back Right

Z-Stage Stepper Back Right

Z Endstop Back Right

Platform Wire Harness Front Right

Y Endstop Back Right

X-Stage Endstop Front Right

Set Stepping Modes

Ensure both switches on the stepper driver are set to “ON” as shown. This puts the drivers into “microstepping” mode, which makes your Thing-O-Matic perform smoothly.

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Separate the Wires

The stepper drivers are connected to the motherboard via a 6-pin IDC cable. You must make these cables yourself, which is a fairly simple task. Once that is complete, you just plug and play.

The stepper motor drivers ship with a 10-wire IDC cable in order to be compatible with the Generation 3 Electronics. You’re going to be using all Gen4 stuff, so let’s turn the 10-wire IDC cable into a 6-wire IDC cable.

All you really need to do is remove 4 wires from the cable. We’ve used rainbow cable for clarity, but yours may be either rainbow colored or grey. If you have a rainbow cable, we highly recommend removing the one brown wire from the left, and the three gray/black/white wires from the right to leave you with six pins of bright rainbowy goodness. If you have a grey cable, remove the four wires on the side without the red stripe.

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Attach IDC Connectors

IDC connectors are an awesome connection technique for making mass connections. The idea is pretty simple: the connector has metal “teeth” that “bite” through the wire insulation and make an electrical connection when the connector is clamped onto the cable. If you look into the IDC connector, you can see the individual teeth in two offset rows.

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Making the connectors is pretty simple, if you follow these rules:

1. The cable color order must match on both ends of the IDC connector. 2. Have someone double check your work before you clamp it down. 3. Only apply force straight down into the top of the IDC connector.

To actually make the cables, take one cable and two IDC connectors (one for each end). Insert the cable into the gap in the IDC connector, and make sure everything is lined up nicely. Make sure the color order (when viewed from the same side) is identical for every single connector you make.

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Once you have it right, gently press down on the connector with your fingers. This will make the connector grip the cable and keep it from slipping out when you go to clamp it.

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Vise Based Clamping

Clamping the connector is easiest when you use a benchtop vise. If you have a vise, put your connector into it and then clamp it until the connector is closed like the pictures above. Do not clamp it any farther as you will crush the connector.

Alternative Clamping

Making these connectors has been achieved with pliers, C-clamps, or even a piece of wood. We don’t recommend doing it this way, but if you absolutely have to improvise, then make sure that you are applying even pressure straight down into the connector from the top. Any other direction and you risk breaking the connector.

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RS485

The RS485 connection is how the motherboard and extruder controller communicate. We’ve provided an Ethernet cable that connects the two boards. Neither of the boards supports Ethernet, we are simply re-using low-cost, off-the-shelf components.

Do not plug either of these components into the network port of a router, home computer, etc. Bad things may happen if you do.

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Wire up Steppers Controls

Once the IDC cables have been made, it’s very simple to wire things up. Simply plug each cable into the appropriate stepper and appropriate header on the motherboard as shown.

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Extruder Controller

Extruder DC Motor (MK5)/ Stepper Motor Cooling Fan (MK6)

If you’re building a Thing-O-Matic with a MK5, the DC motor for the Plastruder MK5 has a red and black wire. Connect the red wire to 1A and the black wire to 1B.

If you’re building a Thing-O-Matic with a Stepstruder MK6, this terminal will be used for the stepper motor cooling fan. Connect the red and black the same way for the MK6, but make sure they lead to the cooling fan’s red and black leads.

Extruder Heater

The extruder heater connection leads to the Safety Cutoff, which will pass the power through to the heater cartridge. It should be wired up to the terminal marked “HEATER” as shown.

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Make sure that you put the black wire in the right-hand terminal as shown here (the one next to the “EXTRA” terminals) and that goes to the “FET” terminal on the safety cutoff, as shown here.

Heated Build Platform Heater

The heated build platform heater should be wired into the terminals marked “EXTRA”. The heated build platform heater does have polarity, so make sure you hook up the wires exactly as 140

shown, with the red wire in the terminal closer to the “HEATER” terminals, and the black wire in the terminal closer to the “FAN” terminals.

Thermocouple

The thermocouple is the temperature measurement device for the extruder controller. This wire has a positive and a negative. Its important to hook them up right. The yellow should be positive, and the red negative. Wire them up as shown.

Do not hook this up backwards: If you do, the temperature will read zero regardless of actual temperature. This will continually run the heater coil, and will damage your extruder controller and/or Plastruder’s hot end.

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Build Platform Temperature Sensor

The temperature sensor should plug directly into the extruder controller as shown. Make note of the orientation, and make sure yours matches the picture.

Do NOT plug it into the port with the word “QUADRATURE” marked below it on the board. Even though it fits perfectly, that’s not where it’s supposed to go!

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Motherboard

ATX Power

The motherboard is powered by the big, 20-pin ATX connector. If yours seems to be four pins too big, that is because there is an optional 4-pin connector that piggybacks on the 20-pin connector. It should simply slide off the 20-pin connector. Remove it and then plug the 20-pin connector in as shown.

Note 3/2011: If you have received a newer Sparkle or Coolermaster power supply, and a motherboard v2.4 only, please make sure that the modification on this page has already been done to your MakerBot Motherboard: CoolerMaster Power Supply Fix. Motherboard v2.5 does not require the fix.

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End-stops

The endstops are a critical part of your Thing-O-Matic. The very first thing it does when starting a build is to “home” for the X, Y, and Z axes.

X Minimum End-stop

The endstop for the X axis is at the minimum. Plug it in as shown.

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Y Minimum End-stop

The endstop for the Y axis is at the minimum. Plug it in as shown.

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Z Maximum End-stop

The endstop for the Z axis is different: it is at the maximum of the Z axis. Make sure it makes it into the correct header. It might be hard to plug this one in until you are closing up the bottom of the machine; if that’s the case, it’s OK to hold off until then. But don’t forget, or your Z-axis homing won’t work.

All End-stops Plugged

Here is what all the endstops look like when fully plugged. Make sure yours match this photo.

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Connect E-STOP

If your bot is equipped with a Safety Cutoff Kit then you should also attach the cutoff’s e-stop cable to the port labeled “E-STOP” on your motherboard.

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Adjust your stepper motor drivers!

Now’s a good time to take care of something extremely important: adjusting the voltages on your Stepper Motor Drivers. There are several different types of stepper motors used in the Thing-O- Matic, and they each work best with slightly different settings. Set your voltage

Make sure that the red voltage selector switch on the back of your power supply is in the correct position. The switch should be pushed to the right, with the text “115V” visible, in areas with 120V power mains (USA and Canada). The switch should be set to the left, with the text “230V” visible, in areas with 230V power mains (EU, China). Make sure you don’t have the power supply set to “115V” when plugging it into a 230V outlet!

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Connect Stepper Motors

Now connect the stepper motors to the drivers. The “ramps” on the stepper connectors should face the inside of the stepper board. They will keep the connector from vibrating loose and force you to insert them in the right orientation.

You probably won’t be able to attach the connector for the extruder stepper (“Stepstruder motor”) to the A-axis stepper motor driver board until you’re closing up the bottom of the bot, so just leave it in position to connect later.

Plug in the power and turn it on

Find the black power cord provided in the kit. Plug one end into the power supply on the left side of your machine and the other end into a wall socket. Flip the switch on the power supply to ON. The fan on the power supply should start up.

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Now that you’ve got the power flowing to your bot, you can adjust the stepper motor drivers! Adjusting Stepper Driver Potentiometers

The Generation 4 stepper drivers have four adjustable potentiometers labeled PFD, RC1, REF, and RC2. This allows modularity in the electronics so that stepper motors of all different specs and sizes can be controlled with the same driver. A brief description of what each potentiometer controls can be found on the page about the Stepper Driver v3.3

The pot labeled REF controls current supplied to the motor. This is the most commonly adjusted pot. Do not adjust the others unless you know what you are doing. Conveniently, each pot has a test point for measuring with a multimeter. Put the positive probe on the test point, and the negative probe to ground.

Note that these values are with the steppers DISABLED, not enabled.

If you do not have a multimeter, counter clockwise rotation will decrease the value, and clockwise will increase for REF and PFD — but it’s the opposite for RC1 and RC2. There are small indications of the total range for each potentiometer engraved in its case. Suggested values for the stock Thing-O-Matic steppers are:

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Stepper Motor REF Voltage (V) Rotation between Max and Min

X 0.600 Between 1/8 – 1/4

Y 0.600 Between 1/8 – 1/4

Z 0.617 Between 1/8 – 1/4

Note: If you set the current too high, the motor will be eventually get too hot to touch.

If your Z axis stepper motor is making high pitched noises while set to the above REF value, then you will need to change the other potentiometers as well.

Since the motor suppliers have changed over the course of the Thing-O-Matic’s lifetime, you first need to identify which motors you have from the image below, and then adjust their respective potentiometers accordingly.

Note: the Stepstruder® MK7 uses a Moons Nema17 motor and should be adjusted accordingly.

The suggested pot values for the Z-axis stepper motors ONLY

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Stepper Motor PFD (V) RC1 (V) REF (V) RC2 (V)

Makerbot Leadscrew Nema17 2.311 0.952 0.617 0.963

Moons Leadscrew Nema17 2.311 0.952 0.617 0.963

The suggested pot values for the X&Y-axis stepper motors ONLY

Stepper Motor PFD (V) RC1 (V) REF (V) RC2 (V)

Makerbot Nema17 1.952 0.953 0.600 0.955

Moons Nema17 1.952 0.953 1.68 0.955

The suggested pot values for the Stepstruder MK7 stepper motor ONLY

Stepper Motor PFD (V) RC1 (V) REF (V) RC2 (V)

Stepstruder MK7 1.952 0.953 1.68 0.955

The suggested pot values for the Stepstruder MK6 stepper motor ONLY

Stepper Motor PFD (V) RC1 (V) REF (V) RC2 (V)

Stepstruder MK6 2.31 0.94 1.56 0.94

Attach Bottom to Body

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It’s time to close it up! (OK, you might actually want to do your firmware installation before this.)

Connect any cables that wouldn’t reach with the bottom open. Then attach the bottom plate to the body.

Fully Assembled

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You’ve successfully completed the mechanical build of your Thing-O-Matic!

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Section 8 Update the Firmware

Save yourself some time

Before the electronics are installed inside the base of the Thingomatic, first upload the latest version of the firmware to your boards. This step will also serve as an electronics power-on test. Get the ReplicatorG Software

You’ll be using the built-in firmware uploader in ReplicatorG to update the firmware on the boards. Once you have ReplicatorG installed, can upgrade to the latest version. New! Install drivers for Arduino Mega 2560

If you’re received a new Arduino Mega2560, the drivers unfortunately do not install automatically the way they usually did for the Arduino Mega 1280.

Take a quick look at your board — it will say “2560″ on both sides, and the back has some cool- looking white decoration on it. If that’s what you’ve got, don’t fear — you’ve already downloaded the drivers with ReplicatorG. They’re found in the “drivers” folder within the distribution.

Install these like any other driver. On Windows, you can follow the prompts the first time you plug in the Arduino board, or go to your device manager and find the Arduino there (look for a big yellow exclamation point.) Installation will be a bit different on Mac, but you should still have the drivers waiting for you in your ReplicatorG download. We trust you Linux types to figure this out on your own. Install the Firmware on the MakerBot Motherboard

Prepare the MakerBot Motherboard

Disconnect any other USB serial devices your computer’s USB ports. Next, attach the Thingomatic Arduino MEGA to your computer with the USB cable. If you have already created the MakerBot Motherboard v2.4 Stack which locks the Arduino MEGA to the bottom of the MakerBot Motherboard PCB, then you will use the MakerBot Motherboard v2.4 reset button instead of the one on the Arduino MEGA when the directions call for this action. Otherwise the directions for both route are identical. 155

Installing the firmware

Start ReplicatorG and Select “Machines > Update Firmware…” from the menu.

Select the board and version you’re updating.

Please note: that there is a new, separate set of firmware for the Gen4 Motherboard with Arduino 2560. Most recent (late 2011 and after) should choose MakerBot Motherboard v2.4 with Arduino 2560. Note that Motherboard revision 2.5 uses the same drivers.

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Select the version of the firmware you’d like to upload.

This should ordinarily be the one with the highest number, which is the latest version.

Select the serial port that represents your Motherboard.

Your Motherboard will appear as a serial port on your computer. Usually this will be the last one listed. The names will vary from platform to platform.

If you’re not seeing a serial port that corresponds to the board you’re trying to flash, check your driver installation. These drivers will be found within the ReplicatorG distribution, in the “Drivers” folder. The Arduino 2560 has its own driver, and the older Arduino 1280 shares the same FTDI USB driver with the Extruder controller.

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Upload The Firmware

This is the tricky step. Try to press the reset button at the same time as you click the upload button.

Be patient; it may take a minute or two to upload the firmware. If the upload succeeded, you should see a message indicating success. If you see a message indicating failure, try again! Getting the timing of the reset is important; it may take a few tries to get right.

Install the Firmware on the Extruder Controller

Note: This step is not necessary for any Thing-O-Matic shipped in 2012. The most recent version of the Extruder Controller comes loaded with the correct firmware.

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Prepare the Extruder Board Disconnect your MakerBot Motherboard from your computer’s USB port. Now, attach the Extruder Controller v3.6 to your computer with the USB cable. Once it’s plugged in, you should be ready to go.

Installing the firmware

Start ReplicatorG. and Select “Machines > Update Firmware…” from the menu.

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Select the board and version you’re updating.

Select the version of the firmware you’d like to upload.

This should ordinarily be the one with the highest number, which is the latest version.

Select the serial port that represents your Extruder Controller.

Your Extruder Controller will appear as a serial port on your computer. Usually this will be the last one listed. The names will vary from platform to platform. Again if you’re not seeing a corresponding serial port, this usually indicates missing drivers. The drivers for the EC will be found in the ReplicatorG distribution, in the “Drivers/FTDI USB Drivers” folder.

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Click on the upload button.

You should not have to manually press the reset button on the Extruder Controller.

Be patient; it may take a minute or two to upload the firmware. When you’re done, you should see a message indicating success.

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Section 9 Makerbot Thing-O-Matic Quick Start Guide

IMPORTANT: Depending on where you are located in the world, you may need to switch the voltage setting on you power supply. You should make sure it is in the correct position before turning your machine on. It will most likely arrive in the 110V position. Change it accordingly.

Look over your Thing-O-Matic for any damage from shipment. If you’re checking this page out after assembling a Thing-O-Matic from a kit, just skip down to the section labeled “Install Software.”

Open your boxes and take a look at what is inside.

 There are a lot of extra nuts and bolts. You may never have to use them, but it doesn’t hurt to have them around.  120mm Wide Kapton Tape for your Heated Build Platform. The tape applied to the build platform will eventually get scratched or torn. You can use this big roll to replace it.  Gen4 Interface Controller, which you can use to print without being connected to your computer.  USB A to B cable and Power Cord.  Tools: hex keys and wrenches for upkeep and maintenance. Set up Hardware

It’s time to unpack your MakerBot Thing-O-Matic! The Thing-O-Matic is fully assembled, but you will need to set up a few things before you can start using your machine.

Bolt Extruder in Place

When you unpack your Thing-O-Matic, you’ll find the extruder just below the Z-stage, where it has been immobilized for shipping. All the wiring is complete; you’ll just need to bolt it in place. Put large white spacers between the extruder and Z-stage.

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Once that is in place, secure the extruder with the supplied M5 nuts and bolts.

Now your extruder is ready to go!

Install Spool Holder

Next, it’s time to install the spool holder that came with your bot. This spool holder was printed on your Thing-O-Matic as a test before we shipped the machine out to you. Locate the spool holder and drop 4 M3 bolts in the holes. Then install the holder on the front upper left of your machine, like this:

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Once it’s in place, secure the spool holder with 4 M3 nuts. Then put the spool in place!

Good to go! Install Software

The software that you’ll use to control your Thing-O-Matic is called ReplicatorG and is available at http://replicat.org. Go there for instructions on how to install the latest version. Note: Some parts of this section may be out of date. Check the main Software page for more up-to-date information.

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Install Drivers

You may need to install drivers to be able to communicate with your Thing-O-Matic. To determine whether this is necessary, start ReplicatorG with your Thing-O-Matic unplugged and look at the contents of the the “Machine” -> “Connection (serial ports)” menu. Now plug in your Thing-O-Matic and choose “Rescan serial ports” from that “Machine” -> “Connection (serial ports) menu. Navigate back to the list of serial ports — you should see a new port now that your machine is plugged in. If not, follow the instructions below to install the necessary drivers.

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Windows:

Navigate to the device manager. The Arduino Mega should be listed under “Ports (COM & LPT).” If you see an orange icon with an exclamation point next to the Arduino Mega, then you should load your driver manually.To do this, right click on the Arduino Mega, and select “Update Driver Software” then select “Browse my computer for driver software.” Browse to the drivers folder in ReplicatorG and select the Arduino driver. Press OK.

Older Windows systems may need to install the FTDI USB Serial driver to communicate with their Extruder Controller; this will be found in the same directory as the Arduino Mega driver.

Mac OS X:

There is a /drivers folder in the replicatorg folder you installed. It contains a driver for the FTDI USB->Serial converter used with Arduino and Sanguino boards. If you have already installed Arduino, you can skip this step. Otherwise, please install it. Calibration and Testing

Pre-Run Testing

Open the Control Panel

Click the “Control Panel” button. Here you can move the 3 axes, control your extruder and platform temperatures, and load and unload plastic filament.

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Move XYZ axes and test endstops

Now, click each of the arrows and make sure that the machine makes the proper movements. The negative direction for the X and Y axis should run towards the endstops; for the Z-axis, the endstop is at the top, in the plus direction. Make sure that each axis can run all the way to the endstop.

Calibration Routine

While your Thing-O-Matic was fully calibrated before leaving the factory, it’s a good idea to re- calibrate after shipping.

Here’s a good video that explains the process.

Loading Filament and Testing Extrusion

On the right side of the control panel, you will find a tab labeled “Stepstruder MK7.” In this tab, you can see a realtime readout of the extruder and platform temperature, and you can set target temperatures. In the rolling readout, the blue line is the target temperature for the extruder head,

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the red line is the current temperature for the extruder head, the yellow line is the target temperature for the build platform, and the white line is the current temperature for the build platform. To heat up the extruder, type “225” into the “Target Temperature” box and press enter. You should see the red line start to rise. To heat up the platform, type “120” in the “Platform Target Temperature” box and hit enter. Now, you should see the white line start to rise.

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Once the Current Temperatures reach the target temperatures, you can begin loading the filament into the extruder. Take the filament and push it into the hole that lines up with your extruder’s hot end.

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The filament will stop soon after you insert it. That’s because the drive gear is in the way. To get the filament into the heating chamber, check that motor speed “RPM” is set to 3, and “Extruder Duration” is set to 30 seconds. Now, press the “Forward” button. This will engage the motor and turn the drive gear.

To help the drive gear catch the filament, you’ll need to apply some pressure to the filament. Hold the filament between your fingers and press it down until you feel the motor grab the plastic, and make sure to support the entire Z-stage from below. Remember: the tip of the extruder will be very hot, so be careful! Sometimes, it will take you more than 30 seconds to load the filament; just click the “Forward” button again to run the extruder motor for another 30 seconds.

When the drive gear has caught the filament, you’ll be able to feel the filament being drawn into the motor assembly. A few seconds after that, you’ll begin to see a thread of plastic coming out of the nozzle. Once you see plastic being extruded by the nozzle, you can move on to the next step: your first print! Your First Print

Open a “.stl” file in Replicator G. Download an .stl file and open it up in ReplicatorG. We found this one here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:625

Choose file from directory

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Move and Resize your Model (if necessary)

Let’s take a look at some of the tools we can use to manipulate the model in Replicator.“View” allows you to toggle around the printing space.

“Move” allows you to move the positon of the model in the space. Before generating Gcode for a model, it is a good idea to click the “Put on Platform” and “Center” buttons. This will make sure that the model is oriented correctly on the grid.

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“Rotate” allows you to rotate the model over the XYZ axis.

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“Mirror” allows you to mirror the model.

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“Scale” allows you to scale the model. A number greater than 1.00 will increase the size. A number less than 1.00 will decrease the size.

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Generate Gcode

“Generate GCode” is one of the the main functions of Replicator G — this is where your 3d model will get converted into a toolpath, which is the series of movements your MakerBot will execute while printing the object.When the dialogue box opens, you should find the correct “Profile” that fits your machine. You should select the “SF35 Thingomatic HBP MK7.” This profile has all the correct parameters specific to the type of machine you are running.

The check box that says “Raft” can be off or on, depending on what you prefer. The “Raft” is an extra-thick first layer intended to increase the adhesion between the print and the platform. It needs to be manually removed from the print afterwards. You generally do not need a rafted print, but it’s best to use it for your initial test prints.

The next check box is unchecked and says “Use Printomatic.” Please check this box and increase the size of the dialogue box.

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If you check the box labeled “Automatically generate when printing” then ReplicatorG will automatically re-generate your Gcode based on your current settings each time you click the “Build” button. Use this once you’ve dialed in your Print-O-Matic settings.

Print-O-Matic

These are the default values for the Stepstruder MK7.

“Object Infill (%)” can be used to make your print more dense or more hollow. A value of 0% will result in an empty or hollow print. 100% will be completely full or solid print.

“Layer Height” should be between .27 and .33 mm. Feel free to experiment!

“Number of Shells” can be used to make the perimeter of your object thicker. Every model has one perimeter thickness. If you have (1) Shell, you will be adding another perimeter to the wall thickness. (2) shells will make your perimeter 3 thicknesses wide. These will add up toward the center of the object, making the outer most perimeter the same as when it was modelled.

Tip: if you see empty spaces in parts of your print that have small details, try setting shells to 0.

“Feedrate” is the speed the bot moves while extruding plastic. 30 mm/s is a good place to start, but you might find that you get the best results at a slightly higher or lower speed.

Under “Plastic,” make sure the “Filament Diameter” value is between 1.75mm and 1.8mm.

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Under the “Extruder” tab, make sure the “Nozzle Diameter” is .4mm.

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Feel free to experiment with any of these settings. If you want to go back to the defaults, there are reset buttons on the “Defaults” tab.

Generate GCode!

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Choose your printing process

There are a few ways to make your machine print your model.

When connected to the Thing-O-Matic, press the “Build” button. This is the easiest way to print, although you are tethered to your computer. If you unplug the machine from the computer while printing, the print will fail.

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You can also press the “Build From SD” button. This will allow you to print any .s3g files (Gcode processed for MakerBot) that are stored on the SD card in your Thing-O-Matic.

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The final way to print is by using your Gen4 Interface Controller. This will allow you to print anywhere you can get electricity.

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Section 10 Proper Belt Tensioning

Tensioning Mechanism

The tensioning mechanism on the Thingomatic is the motor mount. Instead of holes, there are slots where the motor is mounted. This allows the motor to move in a direction parallel to the axis. To loosen or tighten the belt, loosen the bolts on the motor and slide it towards or away from the stage. When you are satisfied, tighten the motor bolts back down.

This may be a bit tricky on the X motor, and you will need to take the top plate off the Y carriage in order to get access to the bolts.

Tensioning belts

In general, belts should be tight enough to minimize slack, but not so tight that they start placing a lot of stress on the motor shaft or pulleys. Once a belt is on, turn the motor pulley with your fingers to gauge if there's too much resistance. If the belt makes an audible noise when you 'pluck' it with your fingers, it is too tight. The Thingomatic operation should be nearly silent. If your motor makes a humming or buzzing noise, your belts may be too tight. 183

To test if your belt is too loose, rotate the motor pulley back and forth by hand. If the stage moves back and forth in sync, then you are okay. If it lags behind, the belt is too loose. A more conclusive test is to print a cylinder from Thingiverse on your Thingomatic. If any of the sides are flattened, then the belt on the corresponding axis is too loose.

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Section 11 Testing Your Bot

Connect to your bot

Double-check your voltage

This is also a good time to double-check that the red switch on the back of your power supply that selects your local voltage level is in the correct position. The switch should be pushed to the right, with the text "115V" visible, in areas with 120V power mains (USA and Canada). The switch should be set to the left, with the text "230V" visible, in areas with 230V power mains (EU, China). Make sure you don't have the power supply set to "115V" when plugging it into a 230V outlet!

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Plug in the power and turn it on

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Plug In USB and Connect

Take the included USB A to B cable and plug one end into the Arduino MEGA on the right side of your bot. Plug the other end into your computer. Next, open up the ReplicatorG program that you installed in the very first step.

First, select the appropriate Machine -> Driver -> Thingomatic driver for your build platform. If you've just built a MK6-equipped bot, make sure that you select on of the options with "MK6" in the title — otherwise your stepper motor won't move correctly.

Now, you'll need to find the correct serial port that your machine has registered as. You can see a list of connected serial ports in the Machine -> Serial Port submenu. If your computer doesn't have a built-in serial port, you may only see one entry; if you're using a desktop with built-in serial ports, you'll probably see several entries. The way a Thing-O-Matic appears in this menu depends on the platform you're running on. On Windows machines, it may appear as "COM3:". On Linux machines it often appears as "/dev/ttyUSB0". Macs will see multiple entries for each

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serial port, with a unique ID associated with each physical connection. The entry you'll want to choose on a Mac is one of the form "/dev/tty.usbserial-XXX", where XXX is a unique identifier.

After you select a serial port, ReplicatorG will try to connect. (If you've got the "Automatically connect on startup" option unchecked in the preferences panel, you'll may need to press the 'Connect' icon on the right side of the button bar to tell ReplicatorG to connect.) The status bar should turn green, as shown. The console window below should list both a Motherboard and Firmware version.

If the console window reports that the motherboard can not connect to the toolhead, make sure your patch cable is connected between the motherboard and extruder controller, that the extruder controller is plugged into the power supply, and that the power on the Thing-O-Matic is switched on.

Step 3: Open your Control Panel

Open the control panel by selecting the Machine -> Control Panel.

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You should be presented with this window.

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Testing Your Axes

The first step to testing your bot is to verify that all of your stepper motors are working. These are the motors that move your bot around, and if they don't move, then you don't print. First, there is some information you need to know about your XYZ axes configuration.

Get to know your axes

The Thing-O-Matic moves along three axes: the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. The X axis is the one that runs from left to right; the Y axis is the one that runs towards and away from you. (Think of these as being like the X and Y axis of a graph, seen from above.) The Z axis goes up and down.

Spend a moment to familiarize yourself with the directions of the axes. It will save you a lot of frustration later!

XY Axes and Relative Motion

Look closely at the picture above. On first glance, the X and Y axes may look backwards to you. Moving the X axis in the negative direction means moving it to the right. The reason for this is

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what we call Relative Motion. To be specific, we're talking about the motion of the extruder nozzle relative to the build surface.

Imagine for a second you are a tiny little person that is standing on the build surface. You are facing the back of the machine. Suddenly the build surface you are on moves in the X– direction (to your right). You look up at the extruder nozzle and see that it is (from your perspective) moving to the left. The relative motion of the nozzle to the build surface that has been achieved is a movement in the negative direction.

When you look at the control panel in ReplicatorG, you'll see the "X+" button is on the right. When you click it to move the platform, though, you'll see the platform move to the left. This is expected! The controls in ReplicatorG indicate the relative motion of the extruder, not the motion of the platform.

First Axis Movement

WARNING: MAKE SURE YOUR PLATFORM IS CENTERED IN THE MACHINE BEFORE YOU BEGIN. You don't want to jam your axes into the sides on your first run! The XY axes can be moved by hand, and the Z axis can be raised/lowered by rotating the drive screw.

Do not force the axis movement! If you clicked one of the buttons, the stepper driver for that axis remains active in 'holding mode'. This means it will fight you to keep the axis in the place it currently is. To turn the motor off, click the 'Disable Steppers' button.

Now it's time for your bot to take its first baby steps. On the left side of the control panel, there are buttons labeled X+, X–, Y+, Y–. These buttons when pressed will tell your Thing-O-Matic to move the extruder head in these directions. Remember: this movement is movement of the extruder head relative to the build surface!

Test that your MakerBot moves each axis in both directions. The table below tells you what direction each button should move each axis:

Button Movement Seen From Front

X+ platform moves to your LEFT

X– platform moves to your RIGHT

Y+ platform moves TOWARDS you

Y– platform moves AWAY from you

Z+ nozzle moves UP

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Z– nozzle moves DOWN

If an axis is moving the wrong way there are two ways to fix this:

1. Shut down ReplicatorG. Turn off the machine, unplug it from both the wall and the USB connection, open the electronics bay, and rotate the stepper connector 180 degrees. This will invert it. 2. Or, you can invert it in software by going to Machine -> Onboard Preferences and clicking the appropriate button to invert that axis.

Secondly, you are looking to make sure that each axis moves nice and smoothly. It should make a humming noise, but any grinding noise or a lack of movement means something is wrong.

If you're having trouble with your stepper motion, take a look at the Thing-O-Matic troubleshooting page.

Crank up the speed

There are sliders underneath the movement buttons labeled XY Feedrate and Z feedrate. These set the speed of the axis movements. You can either gradually increase these or drag them all the way over. Once you do, repeat the back and forth movements from before. The axis should continue to move nicely, except this time at maximum speed.

If you're having trouble with your stepper motion, take a look at the Thing-O-Matic troubleshooting page. Test Your Endstops

There are 3 endstops provided in your Thing-O-Matic kit. They are used to detect when your Thingomatic has reached a certain point, which allows your machine to automatically determine where it is from any position and automatically start printing in the same spot, even if something went wrong.

Step 1: Trigger Each Endstop By Hand

The endstop is a simple mechanical switch. Press it down and you'll hear a nice, satisfying click. If everything works right, you'll also see the little LED on the endstop turn on as well.

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If the LED does not turn on, you probably have a wiring problem. Check the electronics installation page and make sure you hooked it up right.

Step 2: Trigger Each Endstop By Machine - Manually

Click the 'Disable Steppers' button in the control panel. We'll be moving the axes by hand first to make sure they all can actually reach their endstops.

One by one, move each axis to its appropriate endstop. Do not touch the endstop itself, but rather move the axis so that it triggers the endstop. The endstop should light up like it did above.

If any axis is unable to trigger its endstop, make sure there are no obstacles and try it again. If there are obstacles, make sure they are permanently out of the way, otherwise it could cause problems during printing.

Step 3: Test Each Endstop For Correct Wiring

Move each axis to the opposite side of its movement from the endstop. Next, turn the speed for each axis down to about 500 for XY and 100 for Z. You will be moving each axes towards its endstops, and triggering the endstops with your finger (or some other object).

Test each axis in sequence by holding down the appropriate endstop and pressing the corresponding button for that axis (X–, Y–, and Z+). The axis should not move while the endstop is triggered. 193

If this does not work, you most likely have the endstops plugged into the wrong headers on the motherboard. This is a simple mistake to fix, so open up the electronics bay and make sure they are plugged into the right headers.

Step 4: Home Each Axis

This is the final test: can the machine automatically move itself to the home position for each axis? At the top of the Control Panel, there is a 'Homing' menu. Under this menu there are a variety of options that will automatically 'Home' your axes. Homing is the process of moving towards an axis until it hits the switch.

Select the menu option to home each axis in turn: X–, Y–, and Z+. At the end, each axis should be in its appropriate spot, and the machine should be stopped and silent. If it is grinding one axis into a wall, then you need to power off your machine, and start from the beginning of the endstop instructions.

Don't forget to disable your stepper motors: when they get energized they will generate heat and make your motors hot. Turn them off by clicking the 'Disable Steppers' button. Test Your Extruder

Now your steppers are working, it's time to test your extruder. The extruder testing is pretty simple: you need to make sure everything reports the right temperature, that everything heats up, and that all the motors move in the right direction. Follow the step by step directions and you'll be extruding in no time flat.

All of these instructions will focus on the right half of the control panel which deals with the extruder.

Temperature Measurement Check

First things first: check the temperature readings. These will be in the greyed out 'Current Temperature' boxes. If you are using the automated build platform, you'll need to check that too. The temperature readings are in Celsius. Since the extruder is off and cold, it should be reading room temperature. Depending on your location and season, that should be something around 21°C.

If your temperature is wildly different from that, then you probably hooked up the wires in the wrong direction. Re-read the Electronics Installation page and double check your wire orientation.

Turn Up The Heat

You should only do this step once your temperature sensors are working! Otherwise BAD THINGS may happen. 194

To repeat, NEVER OPERATE THE HEATER if the reported temperature is anything other than room temperature, usually around 20°C.

First, start off with a low temperature of 50°C. This will allow us to make sure the temperature sensors are truly working. Enter the value into the 'Target Temperature' field. You must tab out or click out of the field for the change to be sent to the machine.

Now, peek into your Thing-O-Matic. There are tiny little LEDs next to each MOSFET. It's a bit tricky to see, but the one near the heater wires should have turned on.

The real test is to wait 10–15 seconds for the temperature to start rising. It should start a consistent up-slope towards 50°C.

Note: If the temperature starts steadily decreasing, quickly set the target temperature to 0. It means that you've hooked up your thermocouple backwards! You definitely don't want that. If you see a temperature reversal, you need to shut down the machine, open up the case, and reverse the thermocouple wires.

If you have an automated build platform, test it separately. It should heat up much more quickly as it has a lower thermal mass.

Turn it All the Way Up

Now that your temperature is reporting properly, turn each one up to operating temperature. That is 220°C for the extruder, and 120°C for the heated build surface.

It will take about 5–10 minutes for them to fully heat up and equalize. During that time, the extruder may give off a wee bit of smoke. That is completely normal and is the result of the oils from the anti-sieze burning off. It's a good idea to open a window to let it dissipate.

Control Your Motor Speed

In the meantime, it's time to test your motor! The speed should be set to the default, 1.98. Leave the duration at 10 seconds for the tests (unless you're feeling particularly impatient or meticulous.)

If you're running a MK5 extruder, enter a value of 255 (maximum speed) into the Motor Speed (PWM) field. Tab away from it, and ReplicatorG will now tell your motor what speed it should run at when you turn it on.

Move Your Motor Back and Forth

Next, press the 'Forward' button next to 'Motor Control'. You should hear your motor turn on, and if you visually inspect it from the front, you should see the motor shaft rotating clockwise. Click the reverse button and it should move in the other direction.

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If your motor is rotating counter-clockwise in Forward, first double check that you have pressed the 'Forward' button. :) If the Forward button is pressed, that means the motor wires are reversed. Now you need to turn off your machine, open up the electronics bay, and switch the motor wires. This fix works for both DC and stepper motors.

Test Your Conveyor Belt Motor

Note: On Mk6/Mk7 extruders, this will turn the extruder fan on and off. The conveyor motor is controlled by the extruder board on newer ABP.

If you are using the Automated Build Platform, you'll want to test the motor that drives the conveyor belt. Click the 'Build platform belt' checkbox at the very bottom of the Control Panel.

The motor should whir into life, and your conveyor belt should move with it. The direction of the belt should be towards the front (and the ramp at the front).

If it is not moving at all, or moving in the wrong direction, go back to the electronics wiring step and double check everything. You'll have to turn off the machine and open up the electronics bay for this.

First Extrusion

If everything went according to plan, you should now have your speed set to 1.98 rpm (or a PWM setting of 255 for MK5 users), and your extruder temperature hovering around 220°C. If it has not hit 220°C yet, give it some time. If it has been hovering just below 220°C, bump up the temperature to 225°C for now and you'll need to adjust the PID settings to get it just right.

Make sure your plunger is loosened all the way so you can push the filament in yourself. Take some 3mm filament, and insert it into the extruder, and push it all the way down. If you keep pressing it, you should be able to manually extrude some plastic. Awesome!

Now is time to tighten down the filament plunger. Make it finger tight so the filament is pressed up against the drive gear. Make sure you're at 220°C, and turn your motor on Forward. The filament should begin to be pulled into the extruder, and it should also start extruding.

Plastic is cheap, so let it extrude for at least a couple minutes to 'break in'. Don't get too excited and jump the gun just yet. Make sure it all works properly before going to the next step. Turn off the Heat

The next step requires a bit of calibration and will take at least 5–10 minutes. It's not a good idea to have your extruder on and hot, so turn it off for now. You can do this by setting the temperature to 0, and clicking the stop motor button.

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Section 12 How To Print

Level Your Build Platform

In order for your prints to be successful, you need a build surface that is level relative to extruder nozzle. The vast majority of the time, this will just happen as a result of building your machine. Occasionally, you will need to adjust it to make it nice. The flatness of your build surface really only needs to be about +/- 0.5mm due to the 'raft' that will be printed as the first layer. This raft will make up for many irregularities in your build surface.

The basic process is pretty simple:

1. Manually lower your extruder so that it is roughly 1mm above the middle of the platform. 2. Move the build platform so that each corner is under the extruder nozzle in sequence. Note the relative gap height between each corner and the middle. 3. Adjust the height of each corner to compensate for the non-levelness.

Acrylic Build Platform or Heated Build platform

Leveling the acrylic build platform is very simple. You can loosen the top nuts and adjust the middle nut to move each corner up or down. When you're done, lock the bottom and middle nuts against each other to keep it in place. Do this for all 4 corners and you're done.

Automated Build Platform

The automated build platform does not have a leveling procedure. It your ABP is not quite level, use some 'shims' such as pieces of paper or washers to adjust the height of the ABP platform.

In this picture a plastic washer is used to raise one corner the platform.

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Automatically set your Z-height

Check out this video of the process!

The process for setting your Thing-O-Matic's Z-height has been streamlined with the release of ReplicatorG 25. You no longer need to use a text editor to make changes to the Gcode profiles.

 Open the Thing-O-Matic calibration script: File > Scripts > calibration > Thing-O-Matic calibration.

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 Build the file by clicking GCode > Build.

 Turn the threaded rod until the nozzle just touches the surface without pressing into it. Move the build platform around such that the nozzle can reach each of the four corners without catching the belt. If the nozzle catches the belt, relevel your platform or slightly raise your nozzle by turning the threaded rod. Once you are satisfied the nozzle will not catch on the belt, click Okay.

Your machine will now save your Z-height to the motherboard's onboard memory, and you can use the profiles included with ReplicatorG 25 or the new Print-O-Matic method.

You can now go ahead to the section titled "Get a 3d Model."

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Measure Your Z-Height (ReplicatorG 24 and earlier)

Note: This section is now outdated, use the version above for ReplicatorG 25 and later. This section is preserved for reference only.

The Thing-O-Matic is fully automatic. What that means is that it automatically calibrates its position and start printing the first layer without any sort of intervention by you, the user. Because the exact distance between the Z+ endstop and your build surface can vary from bot to bot, its important to precisely measure it and adjust it if necessary. You encode this information into your build files using the settings you have made for your specific bot. This process is pretty straightforward:

 Open ReplicatorG 23 or later. Connect to your Thing-O-Matic.  Open the Thing-O-Matic calibration script: File > Scripts > calibration > Thing-O-Matic calibration.

 Build the file by clicking GCode > Build.

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 When the Z platform stops moving click Okay.

 Open the control panel and find "Z Position". This is the "Z axis maximum". This should have a value of approximately 107, each maching being slightly different. Record this value for the next step.

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Select GCode Generator

We highly recommend using Skeinforge 35.

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Adjust Your GCode Profile

NOTE: With ReplicatorG 0025 it is not necessary to edit the start.gcode file. The axis values will be save to the motherboard and automatically loaded by the existing default start.gcode. If you're using ReplicatorG 25, skip ahead to "Get a 3d model."

With the measured Z distance in hand, you can tell your bot *exactly* how far to go down before starting the build. Warning: if this number is too big, your extruder will RAM itself into the build surface. You do not want that to happen. It is much better to take your number and subtract 1mm from it and do a series of builds where you move closer to the build surface every time than it is to try and get it perfect on the first try and potentially break something.

This is a thing you will only need to do once, so take your time and do it right. Every other build after you get it right will be fully automatic.

This change needs to be made within the directory of files associated with the profile of the Skeinforge edition you will be using to generate your gcode. There is a pair of files in each profile called "start.gcode" and "end.gcode" that establish the behavior during machine warmup (pre-object) and cooldown (post-object) stages respectively. These files will be very powerful for you when you become an advanced MakerBot operator: you can hack your bot to do cool stuff.

For this calibration step, you only need to adjust a number in the "start.gcode" file associated with the profile that tells your machine how to start each build. Check under 'GCode > Choose GCode generator …' for which edition of Skeinforge you have assigned.

The file you need to edit is located here:

 Generic file location: replicatorg-00XX/skein_engines/skeinforge- 35/skeinforge_application/prefs//alterations/start.gcode

You'll need to put in real values for replicatorg-00XX and .

So, for example: if you're using ReplicatorG 0024, and the profile for Thingomatic, Stepstruder, Heated Build Platform, and 3mm filament, the file will be at:

 ReplicatorG 0024 with SF35-Thingomatic-HBP-Stepstruder: replicatorg- 0024/skein_engines/skeinforge-35/skeinforge_application/prefs/SF35-Thingomatic-HBP- Stepstruder/alterations/start.gcode

If you're using the profile for the Stepstruder with Automated Build Platform and 1.75mm filament, it will be:

 ReplicatorG 0024 with SF35-Thingomatic-ABP-Stepstruder-1.75mm: replicatorg- 0024/skein_engines/skeinforge-35/skeinforge_application/prefs/SF35-Thingomatic-ABP- Stepstruder-1.75mm/alterations/start.gcode

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If you're doing advanced, custom stuff like using skeinforge 39, then you'll need to alter the file in the skeinforge-39 folder, but if that's the case, you're probably on top of this already.

Now, open that file with a plain text editor. On Windows, Notepad++ is a nice one. On Mac or Linux, you can use Bluefish or TextWrangler. In that file, you will see a line that looks like this:

G92 Z80 ( ---=== Set Z axis maximum ===--- )

Change this line so that the Z80 number is your measured Z height number. For example, if the number you recorded was 107.2, you will want to modify the line to look like this:

G92 Z107.2 ( ---=== Set Z axis maximum ===--- )

Every time you make a change to this file, you will need to re-slice your model for the changes to take effect.

Be careful, measure it twice and test it carefully.

That way you won't end up with bad prints or a damaged belt like this.

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Get a 3D Model

You can either download, design, or 3D scan something to get a 3D model. Downloading is the easiest, and we have created Thingiverse.com as a place for people to share their designs.

We highly recommend starting off with a known good 3D model for your first print. The 20mm calibration cube is a great place to start. Download it to your computer, then open it with ReplicatorG.

Slice Your 3D Model

Slicing your model is also known as 'generating the toolpath'. What we are doing here is transforming the 3D model into the exact instructions required to build it. These instructions are in the form of GCODE which is an ancient control language for CNC machines. It is very basic, and tells the robot to go from point to point, when to turn the extruder on or off, and many other things. ReplicatorG then takes these instructions and then tells them to your Thingomatic which follows them and builds you your object.

To slice your object, open it with ReplicatorG, and press the 'Generate GCode' button. Select the 'thingomatic-mk5-automated-abs' profile, click the 'Use Raft' checkbox, and then click 'Ok'.

ReplicatorG will now think for a while. Depending on how complex an object is, and how fast your computer is, this may take a while. This model is fairly simple, so you can expect it to take anywhere from 1 minute on a fast computer to 5 minutes on a slow computer. Patience is the key here.

Once it completes the toolpath, you're ready to print.

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Print Your 3D Model

With the Thing-O-Matic, the printing process is totally automated. Click the Build button, or select 'GCode -> Build' from the main menu. Your MakerBot will go through a warmup routine and then begin building your object. The basic process is this:

 Start warming up the heater  Home the X, Y, and Z axes  Move to waiting position to finish warming up (may take up to 10 minutes)  Extrude for a couple seconds to 'prime the pump'  Wipe any 'boogers' that will inevitably have formed  Start printing your object.

For the first few prints, it's very important to keep an eye on your printer. It may do something weird, or it may have been miscalibrated. Keep one hand on the power switch, and if you sense any sort of danger, flip the switch.

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A nice, good looking raft

A raft that is too smooshed

If your raft looks like this, or your nozzle hits the build surface, then your Z height is too large. Decrease the Z-height by an appropriate amount (0.2mm is usually good)

Don't forget to re-slice your object after making this change, otherwise nothing will change. If you do not re-slice, the GCODE that actually makes the printer run will not change, regardless of the start.txt edit.

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A raft that is too high

If your raft looks like this or if it is too far off the build surface and is not sticking, your Z height is too small. Increase the Z height by an appropriate amount (0.2mm is good here as well.)

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After the Print

If you are using the Automated Build Platform, it will wait for 90 seconds to let the part cool down, and then it will run the conveyor belt to eject the part. Do not remove the part from the conveyor belt by hand. It will do it for you.

When it is done, it will wipe its nozzle and return to 0,0,0 and be ready for another print.

If you are using the Acrylic Build Platform, you will need some sort of scraper to scrape the object off the surface with. As many CupCake CNC owners can tell you, a sharpened paint scraper works really well! You do not need to wait for the object to cool down, and once its done building your object, your machine will shut down.

If you are using the Heated Build Platform, wait at least 90 seconds for your object to cool down and it should very simple to pull off the build surface.

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Section

13 Maintenance and Upkeep

Keep your Bot Running

The Thing-O-Matic does not require much maintenance. Once you have it built and running, it will provide you with many hours of hands-off printing. However, some of the Thing-O-Matic's mechanical parts, especially the ones in constant movement, are subject to wear and should be tuned from time to time. The following list are things you should be mindful of while using your machine. Belt Tension

If the belts curve down and the sides flatten, they are likely too loose.

Symptoms of loose belts may include skipped steps, 'backlash' (see below), or infill that doesn't reach a printed object's inner shell surface.

When the motor switches directions, there is a certain amount of movement it must do in order to pick up the slack on the other side before it can actually move the axis. This 'backlash' causes the constructed part to be inaccurate.

For more information on tightening belts, see the proper belt tensioning page. Keep X,Y, and Z Rods Lubricated

If your machine is very loud and seems to vibrate a lot when moving, you probably need to lubricate the rods.

All three Thing-O-Matic axes rely on 3/8" diameter precision rods to ensure smooth linear travel without any wobbling. Adding lubrication will clean the rods, reduce friction and minimize long- term wear on the bushings as they slide along these rods.

Grab a clean rag, apply some lubricant to the rag, and run the rag up and down each rod.

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Tighten Your Bolts

The bolts on your machine can vibrate loose over time. This is particularly true on the X, Y, and Z axes. Loose bolts can lead to failures or extra noise. If this happens, take your hex key out and tighten any bolts that feel loose. Upgrade Your Bot

One of the great things about a 3D printer is that it can print its own upgrades, and the Makerbot community is constantly producing designs to improve your bot. You will find a big list of ToM upgrades at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6443

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Section 14 Fine Tuning & Calibration

I need more power, Scotty!

Your Thing-O-Matic is already up and running, but you want to bring the print quality to the next level. Follow these tips, and you will be there in no time. Strong Stepper Motor Torque

If you've skipped adjusting the pots on your Thing-O-Matic's stepper motor drivers, now is the time to correct that. This can cause a really bad issue: losing steps, even when the bot is otherwise correctly set up.

Losing steps will cause the prints to be oddly shaped and of very poor quality. The obnoxious, grinding noise the stepper motor makes when it can't move is also a telling sign; if this is you, complete the following instructions right now. Adjusting Stepper Driver Potentiometers

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Note that these values are with the steppers DISABLED, not enabled. 'DISABLED' means that you have not activated your stepper motors in ReplicatorG

If you do not have a multimeter, counter clockwise rotation will decrease the value, and clockwise will increase for REF and PFD — but it's the opposite for RC1 and RC2. There are small indications of the total range for each potentiometer engraved in its case. Suggested values for the stock Thing-O-Matic steppers are:

Stepper Motor REF Voltage (V) Rotation between Max and Min

X & Y 0.600 Between 1/8 - 1/4

Z 0.617 Between 1/8 - 1/4

Note: If you set the current too high, the motor will be eventually get too hot to touch.

If your Z axis stepper motor is making high pitched noises while set to the above REF value, then you will need to change the other potentiometers as well.

Since the motor suppliers have changed over the course of the Thing-O-Matic's lifetime, you first need to identify which motors you have from the image below, and then adjust their respective potentiometers accordingly.

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The suggested pot values for the Z-axis stepper motors ONLY:

Stepper Motor PFD (V) RC1 (V) REF (V) RC2 (V)

Makerbot Leadscrew Nema17 2.311 0.952 0.617 0.963

Moons Leadscrew Nema17 2.311 0.952 0.617 0.963

The suggested pot values for the X&Y-axis stepper motors ONLY:

Stepper Motor PFD (V) RC1 (V) REF (V) RC2 (V)

Makerbot Nema17 1.952 0.953 0.600 0.955

Moons Nema17 1.952 0.953 1.68 0.955

The suggested pot values for the Stepstruder MK7 stepper motor ONLY:

Stepper Motor PFD (V) RC1 (V) REF (V) RC2 (V)

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Stepstruder MK7 1.952 0.953 1.68 0.955

The suggested pot values for the Stepstruder MK6 stepper motor ONLY:

Stepper Motor PFD (V) RC1 (V) REF (V) RC2 (V)

Stepstruder MK6 2.31 0.94 1.56 0.94

For those of you who want to go a little deeper, here's a table that explains a little bit more about the properties of these motors.

Extruder Temperature

Ideally, the goal is to use the lowest temperature which produces the desired results.

If the temperature is too high, this can lead to drips and sagging lines. These are especially noticeable on overhangs. If the temperature is too low, it can lead to poor adhesion, delamination, and edge curling.

By default ReplicatorG 0025 sets the MK6+ Extruder temperature to 225C. However, this will occasionally need to be adjusted for optimum results. Often, when using a new batch of filament, the temperature will need to be adjusted. This can be due to variations in the filament diameter, absorbed moisture levels, and even color used.

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3mm ABS Filament by Color Extruder Temp

Natural 225C

Black 230C

Nuclear Green 235C

Note: These are starting points for reference only. Each Thing-O-Matic build and each batch of filament may have individual variations.

Establish Ideal PID Settings

If the extruder seems to have trouble reaching or maintaining its target extrusion temperature, you may need to adjust the heater's control system parameters.

The Thing-O-Matic maintains its operating temperature with a feedback loop, and the PID settings will mathematically control how the system reacts to that feedback. A very detailed explanation of the theory behind how this works can be found on Wikipedia's article about PID Controllers Default PID Settings For Plastruder MK5

To edit the PID settings, you need to have your machine connected to a computer with ReplicatorG running. Under the Machine file menu, select Toolhead Onboard Preferences.

The recommended defaults are listed below:

P : 6.25 I : 0.4140625 D : 100.0

While the default settings will work well for the vast majority of users, it is still recommended that you verify they are working well. ReplicatorG has made this very easy to do with its built-in Temperature Chart in the control panel.

While in the control panel:

1. Set the Target Temperature (C) field value to 220 2. Pressing Enter on the keyboard.

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The chart will then display a blue line indicating the target temperature, and for the next couple of minutes you can watch the red line to see how the extruder heats up. The Temperature chart below demonstrates what you want to see:

Over long periods of time the red line on the chart should settle directly on or within a degree of your set blue line target temperature:

You will know when the PID settings are correct because it will allow the system to rise to the set target temperature at a relatively constant rate, have very little to no overshoot, and will settle over time on the target temperature without much fluctuation. Manually Adjusting the PID Settings

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If your Temperature Chart does not look like the one above, it is likely you need to tweak one or more of the PID parameters. Depending on how your system is acting up, you can choose which parameter is best to change by using both the parameter chart and labeled image found below.

Image via University of Notre Dame Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

Chart via Wikipedia

The parameter chart describes how each visual characteristic on your Temperature Chart will be effected by an INCREASE in the P, I, or D parameter.(Labeled Kp,Ki,Kd) 218

The image labels how these characteristics would be apparent in your Temperature Chart.

For example, if you are not able to reach your set target temperature, the image shows you'll want to decrease the steady-state error, and the parameter chart shows this can be done by either increasing P, or increasing I by a very small amount.

As another example, if you are seeing temperature oscillations by more than a couple degrees above and below your target temperature, you'll want to improve stability, and the parameter chart shows us that this can be resolved in most cases by increasing D.

It is important to understand that this is very much a guess-and-check process, yet you shouldn't need to tweak your settings very far away from the defaults. After making a parameter change, it is always required that the Extruder Board is reset for the changes to take effect.

Improving the Default Skeinforge Model Slicing Profile

The default Thing-O-Matic Skeinforge profile that is packaged with ReplicatorG should produce some nice looking parts out of the box, but you want to be certain that your settings are optimized for your Thing-O-Matic. Basic Tuning Process

Please note: this refers to an outdated script. We're working on documenting our new Print-O- Matic feature in ReplicatorG 25 and beyond! This is here for reference purposes only.

The basic procedure for tuning your skeinforge profile is to change one setting at a time, do a test print, examine the output, and repeat. There are some quirks to the process, but that is about it. Before you get started, we highly recommend you read this awesome guide by MakerBot Operator Dave Durant. It will help you tremendously.

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Paraminator.py - Automated Testing of Parameters

The process above is a fairly intensive process. For every single change, you have to re-slice your object, print it, mark it, and then do it all over again. This can be pretty laborious, not to mention the process can take many hours.

With the advent of the automated build platform, we can now automate a portion of that process. We've written a script called paraminator.py which allows you to pick one parameter in skeinforge, choose a minimum and maximum value, and it will generate a single gcode file that contains a series of prints that each have been sliced with a different value for the chosen parameter.

In order to help you identify the objects after they have printed, the objects to be printed are sequential block letters with the embossed letter on top. The idea is that the user looks at the printed letters, and decides which iteration has the best visual results. Looking back at the gcode, it is specified which letter block corresponds to each value, and the best performing value can be input into skeinforge. Using this process with any skeinforge parameters in question will allow you to tune you machine to the max!

How to Use Paraminator.py

Currently, the paraminator script is only functional via the command line. First verify that "paraminator.py" and the "test-objects" folder are both living in the

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ReplicatorG/skein_engines/skeinforge-35/skeinforge_application directory. The test-objects folder should contain 26 letter block stls.

You will also need python to be in your path: this means that if typing "python" doesn't start a python prompt (which, btw, can be exited by typing in the command "quit()" if yours works) it will have to be added. Linux and OS X are probably OK, but windows users will likely need to edit their "Environment Variables" in the "Advanced" section of "System Properties," which can usually be accessed by right-clicking "Computer" or "My Computer" and choosing "Properties." Add the name of the folder where python is installed, often C:\Python27 or something similar.

Now decide which setting in skeinforge you would like to explore, and take note of exactly how it appears in skeinforge, and which plug-in it belongs to. For instance, if you want to change the layer thickness, it appears in skeinforge as "Layer Thickness (mm)" (capitalization matters) and it is part of the Carve plug-in.

Open up the Terminal, and navigate to the ReplicatorG/skein_engines/skeinforge- 35/skeinforge_application directory.

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The layer thickness test example will be carried out through the entire paraminatin' process. Before the script is run, there are 6 things that need to be specified:

 file - this is where you locate the plug-in file. For the example above, the carve.csv file would need to be specified. In skeinforge 35, the csv files are located deeper within the skeinforge_application directory at: prefs/SF35-Thingomatic- ABP/profiles/extrusion/ABS/carve.csv

 parameter - this is the parameter that is going to be changed, and it needs to be written with quotations exactly how it appears in skeinforge: "Layer Thickness (mm)"

 start - this is the starting value for the parameter you want to explore. It's a good idea to have a starting value below your expected ideal value, so that it will be clear when you reach the ideal value. For the layer height test, we will choose: 0.32

 end - this is the ending value for your parameter. It should be higher than expected. For the layer height test, we will choose: 0.40

 increment - this dictates how many objects will be printed in your test. For the layer height test, if an increment of 0.04 is chosen, it would create 3 objects: 0.32, 0.36, and 0.40. If we were to choose an increment of 0.02, it would create 5 objects: 0.32, 0.34, 0.36, 0.38, and 0.40. To be thorough, lets choose an increment of 0.01.

 output - this is where you specify the file name you want for the test. The output will be a single gcode file that queues up all the incremental parts into a single print session on the ABP. The

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output gcode file can also be found in the skeinforge_application directory. For the layer height test, we will choose our output name as: ABS-layerheight-test.gcode

Now go back to the terminal, and get ready to execute the paraminator script. The six specifications above will all be typed into the command line to execute the script: python paraminator.py --file=prefs/SF35-Thingomatic- ABP/profiles/extrusion/ABS/carve.csv --parameter="Layer Thickness (mm)" --start=0.32 - -end=0.4 --increment=0.01 --output=ABS-layerheight-test.gcode

Note: the "--" above is actually two hyphens

The script will start generating your objects.

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The script is finished and you can now open the gcode in ReplicatorG, and start testing! In the beginning of the gcode, there is a commented out reference table for determining which value corresponds with each letter block.

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Section 15 How to Print Raftless

Overview

Raftless printing is an advanced technique you can use to reduce waste, improve the quality of your parts, and generally improve your MakerBot experience. It can be a bit tricky to setup, but once you have it working it is simple to use.

The basic strategy of raftless printing is to print the first outline of the first layer at a much slower speed than normal. This allows even the most difficult outlines to stick to the build surface. Once the first outline is drawn, the rest of the object is built. Getting the first outline to stick 100% is the most critical part of the build and if that fails, then the entire print will fail. It's literally all or nothing. Step 1: Create a new Profile

You will want to be using the latest version of ReplicatorG, and the latest Skeinforge included in ReplicatorG. As of this writing, that is ReplicatorG 0023 and Skeinforge 35.

This guide assumes you have a properly calibrated and functioning Skeinforge 35 profile. If you do not have your printer working nicely with a raft, then you need to do that first. Only attempt this once you are printing nice models with a raft.

Create a new profile by opening ReplicatorG, opening a 3D model if you need to, and then clicking the 'Generate GCode' button.

This pulls up the 'Choose a skeinforge profile' window. Select the profile you currently use for slicing, and then click 'Create…'. Give your profile a descriptive name and click 'OK'. The Skeinforge configuration screen will then pop up to allow you to modify your profile. Step 2: Enable Outline

Since raftless printing requires a perfect first outline, we've included the Outline plugin in Skeinforge which draws a box around your object for the first layer. This box 'primes the pump' and gets your extruder in the perfect state for printing the first layer.

Click on the Outline button and make sure the 'Activate Outline' box is checked.

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You may experience that you obtain best results by disabling the 'Wipe' checkbox in the 'Wipe' panel. Step 3: Update your Raft settings

Raftless printing is made possible by adjusting the settings in the Raft plugin. We will still be using the plugin itself, just not to generate a Raft.

1. Set the "Base Layers (integer)" option to 0 (zero). 2. Set the "Interface Layers (integer)" option to 0 (zero). 3. Set the "Object First Layer Feed Rate Infill Multiplier (ratio)" to 1.25. 4. Set the "Object First Layer Feed Rate Perimeter Multiplier (ratio)" to 0.5. Step 4: Test Print!

Printing with a Raft is simple, and the raft itself will self correct for Z height irregularities. This is why it is the option we recommend to new operators. Typically, the starting Z height for a raft build is higher than the starting Z height for a raftless build.

Now that you have enabled raftless, its time for a test print. Raftless printing requires you to have your Z height calibrated exactly. The easiest way to do this is to simply print test objects until you have it working.

Coming from a raft based print, your initial Z height will be too high. This is okay, because you need a baseline to work from. Your first test object is pretty much guaranteed to fail, so don't worry. This first print is to gather data so you know how to tweak your build.

In order to fully test your raftless setup, I highly recommend printing an object that has a complex outline geometry. I highly recommend that you use a gear as a test print object. The teeth means your extruder will constantly be changing direction and if the first layer is going to rip up, it will rip up with the gear.

Once you can print a gear flawlessly with Raftless, you'll be able to print anything with raftless. Step 5: Adjust your Z height

After you have printed the first test object, you may need to adjust your Z height. If you have your Z height set too high on a raftless build, the print will simply not stick and you'll need to try again.

If your Z height is too low, it is very dangerous. You can easily run the nozzle into the build surface and damage it. Be very careful and slowly work your way towards the ideal Z height. It is very important that you be careful.

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For testing purposes, it's very easy to adjust your Z height: find the line in your GCode file that looks something like this:

G92 X-57.5 Y-60 Z108.2 (set zero)

This line is what tells ReplicatorG what the current position of the extruder nozzle is after it has moved to each endstop. Changing the Z number will make ReplicatorG start the print at a different height. This parameter is very dangerous. A typo can easily slam the extruder into the build surface.

Also, this parameter is not quite intuitive. Because the numbers tell ReplicatorG what its current position is, changing the numbers has a non-intuitive effect. To be more specific, here is the effect of changing the numbers:

INCREASING the Z, will set the starting layer height LOWER because ReplicatorG thinks its starting from a higher distance. DECREASING the Z will set the starting layer height HIGHER because ReplicatorG thinks its starting from a lower distance.

Therefore, when you adjust your starting distance DOWN to get your layers to stick, you will need to slightly INCREASE the Z number. I prefer to adjust that number in increments of 0.2mm. Step 6: Test and Repeat

You can manually adjust the G92 line in your GCode file and then print the file. This will allow you to adjust the Z height without re-slicing the file. Make small adjustments, print the file, and then try again. Once you have the correct G92 settings, open your start.gcode file which is located at: replicatorg-0023/skein_engines/skeinforge-35/skeinforge_application/prefs/YOUR- PROFILE-NAME/alterations/start.gcode

Remember: once you change the start.gcode, you will need to regenerate any GCode for models that you want to print using the Raftless technique. Step 7: Print and Trim

One of the only downsides to Raftless printing is that the first few layers bulge out slightly. This is because the first layer is slowed down, and Skeinforge has no support for automatically moving the first layer in to compensate. Hopefully it will be fixed in some future version, but for now it is very simple to trim the first layer with an exacto knife to get the proper size.

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Section 16 Troubleshooting Your Thing-O-Matic

Fold

Table of Contents

Basic Rules

TESTING

Here is the basic method for testing your bot to make sure that you're OK to print.

ASSEMBLY

Read the instructions.

Sanding parts.

X/Y Axes Alignment

Tape your nuts!

ELECTRONICS/FIRMWARE

"I'm having trouble connecting to my Motherboard. I continue to get the 'Null version reported!' error."

Connect to the Internet while using ReplicatorG right before updating board firmware

Calibrate your Stepper Driver Boards

"My Thermocouple / Heater Board Thermistor reads '1024'"

No matter what I do, I cannot get my Power Supply Unit to turn on!

SOFTWARE / REPLICATORG

"Where do I get the software I need to run my bot/slice my models?"

"What software can I use to create models?"

Where can I get models?

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"I'm uploading a model to my SD card — why is this taking so long?"

"My copy of ReplicatorG is not behaving as described elsewhere in the wiki — cannot generate G-code or gives file access errors."

PRINTING

I just started my first print, and my toolhead started printing above the platform!

One of my Thing-O-Matic's X, Y, or Z axes is moving twice as far as I want it to!

My model will not stick to the platform

The corners of the raft curl up, or the part curls.

I've set my z-height, but I'm tearing up my platform

I tore up my Automated Build Platform belt or it's really warped from printing so many awesome things!

How do I change my filament?

Extrusion problems

Software and firmware problems

General printing problems

Basic Rules

1. Don't panic. Nothing is ever FUBAR. 2. Sleep on it. Frustration will only compound mistakes. 3. Persistence and patience debugs all things. 4. You are not alone. Others can help you.

TESTING

Here is the basic method for testing your bot to make sure that you're OK to print.

1. Turn on the PSU. 2. Connect in ReplicatorG

You should see a message like this:

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[17:12:00] Motherboard firmware v2.8 ( Thing-O-Matic ) [17:12:00] Toolhead 0: Extruder controller firmware v2.8 (Extruder)

If you see a line like this:

Toolhead 0: Not found. Make sure the toolhead is connected, the power supply is plugged in and turned on, and the power switch on the motherboard is on.

Then you have a problem. Go to the electronics section for troubleshooting advice.

1. Open up the Control panel. 2. Jog the axes around; make sure that they move the correct direction and distance. 3. Test the endstops. Make sure that they stop the correct axis and direction. 4. Now let's move on to the extruder. First, look at the current temperature. Is this something reasonable? (around 20-30 C)? 5. If this is OK, try heating your hot end — enter 225 as your target temperature and watch to see if the temperature rises. 6. Do these last two steps for the heated platform as well, but use 120 as your target temperature there. 7. If this is all working, do a test extrusion at the proper speed for your extruder. This should be 255 for DC motor-based extruders, and 1.98 for a stepper-based extruder like the Stepstruder MK6. 8. If this works, then you've tested all of your axes and your extruder — try a test print!

Another way to verify if a part is good is to test the electrical circuitry. This only works for a handful of parts on the Thing-O-Matic, but it can be helpful in diagnosing your current problems. You will need a multimeter to test the below values:

Component Sub-Component Resistance (Ω)

Wires ≈ 0.02

Heater Cartridge ≈ 3-5

Thermostat (Room Temp.) ≈ 0.02

Thermocouple ≈ 20-22

NEMA Motors Red to Gray Leads ≈ 30

Green to Yellow Leads ≈ 30

Heater Board +12V to HEAT Pins ≈ 2

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SIG to 5V Pins ≈ 4.6k

5V to GND Pins ≈ 115k

SIG to GND Pins ≈ 115k

MOT to MOTOR - Pins ≈ 0.02

ASSEMBLY

Read the instructions.

Having trouble with a certain step? Do you think you are missing a part? Take care to check which build instructions you are reading. Start here for Thing-O-Matic or here for the Cupcake CNC. If you're building a Thing-O-Matic, make sure that you're building the right Plastruder for your bot, MK5 or MK6 and also keep track of which of the X-axis options you've chosen. Is there something missing in the instructions? Drop us a message to update the guide.

Quick test: did you notice that the left side of the Y-axis doesn't use linear bearings? If you missed that, read over the instructions one more time, carefully. Sanding parts.

You shouldn't have to force any parts — ever. When in doubt, grab some sandpaper or a file and get to work. Usually, just a few passes will make things go together much more smoothly.

If you begin to wonder if the parts you're working on go together, double-check the instructions. X/Y Axes Alignment

Check to make sure that you have aligned your Self-Aligning Bearings. The X- and Y-axes should slide with only a little effort — it's best if they slide when the bot is tilted. Check out this video about bearing alignment.

Belts should not have slack, but they also shouldn't be so tight that you can't press them together with your fingers. If your X-stage belt is too tight, you may need to slit the belt between the clamps. There's a demonstration starting at about 2:07 in this youtube video. Tape your nuts!

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This is an old chestnut for the T-slot construction used throughout the MakerBot kits: tape in the m3 nuts. This is especially useful if you think that you're going to be disassembling part of your bot. For example, it's almost always a good idea to tape the nuts that hold on the bottom of your Thing-O-Matic, because it's good to be able to get to the electronics easily.

ELECTRONICS/FIRMWARE

"I'm having trouble connecting to my Motherboard. I continue to get the 'Null version reported!' error."

Most communication errors can be solved by repatching power and data connections and making sure you are using the latest firmware for both Motherboard Stack and Extruder Controller.

Some customers find they have more luck connecting to their MakerBot control boards by downloading the FTDI drivers directly from the manufacturer. (Particularly customers running Windows XP.) Connect to the Internet while using ReplicatorG right before updating board firmware

ReplicatorG needs to connect to the Internet to download the latest firmware for uploading to your bot. Don't skip over the Thing-O-Matic Firmware Installation section of the instructions — you want to make sure that your control boards are already running the latest firmware before you attach them to your MakerBot. Calibrate your Stepper Driver Boards

The Thing-O-Matic Calibration stage has a number of important features, not the least of which are instructions how to use a multimeter to tune the REF settings of your Stepper Driver Boards. Should you overlook this stage, your stepper motors will run using undesired settings (you may notice loud "struggling" noise or other sounds) that at worst can overheat to create damage to themselves, the operator, or the bot as a whole. "My Thermocouple / Heater Board Thermistor reads '1024'"

1024 is an evil omen — it is a built in error message coded into the firmware that means "I'm not connected correctly." First thing to check is whether your thermocouple/thermistor is patched correctly into your Extruder Controller (check the Electronics Installation page) for cable routing diagrams). The Heater Board plug can easily be pulled out of the A6 port of a Gen4 Extruder Controller when closing your bot — check carefully for that one! 233

Once you have your boards correctly re-patched, make sure to reset the boards and close and re- open ReplicatorG before testing again for a 1024 message. No matter what I do, I cannot get my Power Supply Unit to turn on!

Check the brand of power supply included with your kit. If you have a Sparkle or a Coolermaster, then you will need to make sure that a jumper is soldered across two of the pins on the back of your MakerBot Motherboard so that the board provides a strong enough voltage trigger back to the PSU to kick it into life. The details are listed here.

SOFTWARE / REPLICATORG

"Where do I get the software I need to run my bot/slice my models?"

We use ReplicatorG as the application to control your MakerBot. Included within this software are the Skeinforge scripts that you will use to translate your STL model into a linear toolpath for printing, written as G-code. "What software can I use to create models?"

You need a solid, manifold (“watertight”) STL-formatted file for importing into ReplicatorG. Many if not all solid CAD tools offer an .STL export option. If your tool doesn't offer this, then you can search for 3rd party export plugins or use MeshLab and similar 3D swiss army knife tools to open and convert dozens of file formats into an STL file.

For design software, start here. There are a host of powerful free and open source design tools available. Favorites include 3dtin.com, Sketchup, OpenSCAD, Wings3D, and Blender. We have heard about but not experimented much with FreeCAD, HeeksCAD, POVray and Art of Illusion — apps that have serious fans in the 3D printing world.

For commercial solid CAD apps: Rhino, Autodesk Autocad and Inventor, Creo, and SolidWorks are expensive industry standard options, while Alibre Personal Edition, Cheetah, and bonzai3D are more affordable (but capable) modeling/CAD tools. Where can I get models?

There are a number of places online that allow you to search for and download printable models. The best option is to visit Thingiverse.com where MakerBot Operators share and download MakerBot printable objects as well as other projects, models, and files.

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"I'm uploading a model to my SD card — why is this taking so long?"

The data transfer speed to your bot's SD card is infernally slow. This is why most of us at the BotCave will go ahead and eject the SD card from the bot and copy the .s3g files for printing directly from a computer. How you do this is to generate the G-code for your print, double-check that the z-height maximum in the Homing section of the G-code is correct, and then click the button "Build to File."

The resulting .s3g file can be dragged from wherever you have saved it directly to your SD card attached to your computer. Then eject the SD card, re-insert it into your bot, and use the ReplicatorG command "Build from SD card" to print your item.

It might help to create an S3G folder on your computer so that you can quickly load your favorite models to your SD card for using the "Build from SD Card" button or selecting with your Gen4 Interface Board Kit. "My copy of ReplicatorG is not behaving as described elsewhere in the wiki — cannot generate G-code or gives file access errors."

Are you running the application from a disk image (mac) or unextracted zip file (pc)? Investigate how you can create a local copy of the entire contents of the ReplicatorG file, not just the ReplicatorG.app or executable file. The other folders include the drivers, example files, and other references that you will need to print and tune your bot.

PRINTING

I just started my first print, and my toolhead started printing above the platform!

You've skipped a very important step: setting your Z-height. Make sure to measure your bot's Z- height with a script, and then insert it into the line like this in the proper start.gcode:

G92 Z80 ( ---=== Set Z axis maximum ===--- )

Change Z80 to ZWhatever you measured. If you don't want to add that to the start.gcode, you can also add that into your gcode for each item you print. [WHERE?] Either way works.

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One of my Thing-O-Matic's X, Y, or Z axes is moving twice as far as I want it to!

It sounds like one of your stepper driver boards might have switched to 1/4 stepping from our default 1/8 stepping. If your bot is brand new, get in touch with us about this. If it's been in service for awhile (more than a month of printing) then your board may have been damaged by static electricrity or hard use, and we won't be able to send you a free replacement. However, all is not lost: you can adjust your configuration and you'll be back up and running.

Open the thingomatic.xml file in the "machines" folder in replicatorg. Find the entry for the driver that you're using. That will look something like this:

Thingomatic w/ ABP and Stepstruder MK6

Now let's make one small change to the line in question for the affected axis. For example if it's your X axis, it'll be this line:

In this case, we're going to cut that stepspermm number in half, changing it from 47.069852 to 23.534926. If this were the Z-axis, the numbers would be slightly different, but you'd still divide it in half.

My model will not stick to the platform

No problem! Most likely your Z-height is just a bit too high. Once again find this line in your start.gcode:

G92 Z80 ( ---=== Set Z axis maximum ===--- )

And then increase it by about .2 mm. You can also do this in the gcode you've generated for printing — this is actually a good way to test. Keep in mind that the MakerBot's lasercut plywood will change shape just slightly with temperature and humidity conditions.

The corners of the raft curl up, or the part curls.

When building on a raft, the first line segment is the most critical point of time during the build. If the first line segment adheres nicely to the build area, you're pretty much guaranteed that the rest of the build will go smoothly (if your object is buildable). On larger parts, if the first and last segments of the raft are too loose, the part will warp and peel off much sooner than if they were flatter.

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To control this, you'll need to readjust your Z-height. This is how to do it on a Thing-O-Matic.

On a Cupcake, you can adjust the Z stage height while it is building the raft to fine tune it and get it exactly right. Do this by turning the Z pulley or moving the Z belt (or build a crank or knobfor this).

In this image, note from the left)

 The second and third loops are way too loose, and are nearly lifting off the build platform already; If the entire part is built this way, it may slip off the platform during build, or warp and peel off, or the first few layers may be too loose and not adhere to each other.  The next several loops are too flat and are overlapping; if things are left this way too long the pressure in the nozzle will build up and the filament will strip and jam. Even if it doesn't jam, a raft this thin will be difficult to remove from the platform.  The loops on the right are just about perfect — somewhat flattened, but not overlapping.

Working without a raft

Curl is tricky, says Emmett in a forum post, and gives these suggestions. A heated build platform (HBP) will be a help. If the plastic is curling off of the build platform,

 Make sure the build platform is as level and sticky as possible (kapton tape makes a great surface, especially if cleaned with rubbing alcohol).  It can help to blow on the print for the first few layers; it can help break the warpage cycle. You shouldn't have to [blow] any more once the corners have stopped curling.  Failing that, you might need to change the temp settings of your nozzle and HBP.

Foxdewayne adds

 You are probably not smashing your first layer down onto the platform hard enough. You want a nice wide extrusion. (However, making it too thin and flat causes other issues as mentioned above)  Another thing you can try is to sand your platform so that it is rough.  I highly recommend that you get a heated bed and you will have little trouble with curling, and wont even need a raft. 237

For more answers, check the forum. I've set my z-height, but I'm tearing up my platform

OK, no problem! Just reduce that number by .2 or .3mm, the opposite of the above item. I tore up my Automated Build Platform belt or it's really warped from printing so many awesome things!

Don't worry! You can get replacements in the store or you can make your own belt like this or this. How do I change my filament?

To remove the current filament and start a new filament feed, first heat the chamber of the hotend to 220 degrees Celsius so that you can easily pull the filament back out of the chamber. If you have just completed a print, the chamber might be warm enough for quick removal, otherwise open the Control Panel to manually set the hotend to 220 - 225 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, for 3mm MK5 and MK6 toolheads, you will want to loosen the bolt pressing the Delrin plunger against the filament. The MK6 toolhead with 1.75mm plates does not have a plunger.

Pull out the filament by hand or set the extruder motor to reverse to advance the filament back out of the thermal chamber. Next, insert the new filament and drive it forward into the thermal chamber, pre-heated to 225 degrees Celsius.

If you are changing colors, it might be a good practice to print a noodle of filament for long enough for the color to shift from previous color to the new color.

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