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Thanks to Billm......Cptdragn's Baack

Discussion in 'GENERAL Phlatprinter talk' started by cptdragn, Jul 4, 2010.

  1. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    Been gone from this forum for a bit now. I did the 1.5 upgrade and shortly afterwords, starting having major problems with the printer slipping and skew the cuts. While I am blessed with about 15 bundles of bluecor, I wasn't in the mood to waist them. I was disapointed in not being able to figure it out and simply just let it sit on nicks build table for the better part of a year.

    I was cruising the phlatforum a few weeks ago and noticed that a new member had bought a Phlatprinter and was just down the road from me. I was able to contact him and he agreed to take a look at mine and see if he could help figure it out. I dropped it off with hopes that he could figure out what I seemed to be missing as to why it was not working as it should.
    I picked it up today and billm pointed out all the problems he found. Most were hardware and it looks like I may have a stepper motor trying to go out. This as well as some loose items inside the printer were about 95% of my problems. Billm got it to cut correctly again and that's all I was really hoping for.

    So, Thanks to Billm, I am once again up and running and starting to burn up a few sheets of bluecor.

    THANKS Billm :D
     
  2. 3DMON

    3DMON Moderator Staff Member

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    That's great Tony!
    I wondered what happened to ya...
    Glad your back with us.
     
  3. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    Great news Tony! Glad to hear you are up and running again.
    Thanks for helping out Billm :)
    Mark and Trish
     
  4. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    Just an update.
    As bill fore told. the X stepper was on its way out.
    I started getting some really weird cuts and when I started checking, I found that the X axes had no torque at all. it was very easy to stop the roller with almost no resistance.
    I went ahead and ordered 3 new steppers from Mark and Trish along with a stop collar for one of the rollers. I also asked for and received a copy of the build video being that its no longer online. Thanks again for that one mark, it really helped to refresh my memory as to how to do the starting set up.
    I went ahead and changed out the X & Y steppers but have left the Z for another day. While its slow at 15, it really doesn't seem to slow the machine down that much.
    After adjusting the steppers a bit I am getting consistent 250 ipm speeds with right on the money cuts. I could go higher but for now, I'm very happy with the way it cuts as it is.
    I shot some video of the machine running but may be just a short bit before its posted.

    I know its been said before but if your still using the original steppers that were called for in the kit and your not happy with your cut speeds, Get the new ones from Mark & Trish. They will make a night and day difference in how your MK1 or MK1.5 runs.

    I do have one question and maybe one of the guys have already run across this and have an answer to a fix. I make up a cut file using all the latest software, ( Sketchup 7, and the most current version of the phlat code ) but not all my tabs seem to be cutting correctly.
    Some are being made as they should but some times the bit goes down and you can tell it moved the bit but not enough to keep from cutting out the tab and instead of leaving it intact and going on down the line. this is beginning to drive me nuts as I also noticed it before the stepper change so I can't blame them. Have I missed a setting that I should have made when I installed the new phlatcode for sketchup??

    one other thing. I have noticed on long cuts that the bit will load up and start melting foam making it necessary to stop the cut and dig off the melted foam from the bit. Is the bit getting dull or am I cutting too fast? I have noticed this happen on a file that limited the cutting to 100 as well as one that had a limit of 250. It happens the most on long travel cuts and compound curves like the saucer section of the enterprise.
    I do have a new bit but have not replaced it yet. All in all, I dont think I cut though maybe a total of 50-60 sheets of bluecor or PBIII with the current bit, I have not tried to cut any other type material
     
  5. Jnida63

    Jnida63 Member

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    Your bit problem is prob a dull bit, also your bit is prob spinning too fast.
    Do yourself a favor and get one of those router speed control units from Harbor Freight.
    I got one and usually run mine at full slow rpm and my bits last much longer.
    I cut all foam at 150ipm on my MKI.

    If you are using Dollar Tree foam cut it as fast as your machine can cut and make sure the bit spins as slow as you can make it spin, that stuff likes to melt.
     
  6. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    Jeff,

    Thanks for the reply. I will look into getting the speed controller and go ahead and replace the bit. I can tell you that it very well may be spinning too fast as I'm still using the model 200 2 speed dremel that came with the kit and running it at high speed.

    As for foam that I use. Its all BlueCor or PBIII. I try to remember to use PBIII for the test runs but forget more often than not and end up sacrificing a actual sheet of BlueCor. Being that I still have about 10+ bundles I am not over concerned about this habit but may soon have to really rethink this attitude.

    any ideas on the cut tab problem? Have you had it happen to you?
     
  7. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    video added. Cut file is one of 3 pages for the enterprise

    Cut speed is program limited to 100 IPM

    starship
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous New Member

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    Tony, as regards the tabs, I was having the same problem. I am running Phlatscript Version 0.923* dated 11/15/2009, and on the Phlatscript Parameters screen there is a place to set the width and depth of your tabs. The picture below is from my desktop machine, but I actually run my PP Mk1.5 from my laptop (so the picture doesn't show my laptop settings). However, I usually cut with "V" tabs and not the "T" tabs you used in the video, and I have my Tab Width set at 1/2" so there is always a portion of the "V" tab that remains uncut. You could set your tab width larger also, to eliminate your problem.
    Attached files [​IMG]
     
  9. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    Dennis,

    Thanks man! Thats just the info I needed. So, If I understand you and input .125 into the tab width box. I should get 1/4 wide tabs.

    Another uninformed question.
    I remember some discussion on making the V tabs vs the T tabs. I know that the V tabs allow for much faster cutting of the foam.
    Is there also a place to tell the phlat code which to use?


    and if so, what are the settings you are using?
    As in, how wide are you making your tabs. Edit to add; NM I see that you already answered that one
     
  10. TigerPilot

    TigerPilot Well-Known Member

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    When you use the tab tool you set up the type of tab that you want and it will tell the code the right setting. Once you've selected the tab tool pressing 'v' on your keyboard will set the v-tab and pressing 't' will set the t-tab.
     
  11. 3DMON

    3DMON Moderator Staff Member

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    The "v" key is the only key for toggling between the tabs, the "t" will bring up the tape measure tool. ;)
     

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