Rep2x Pictures

[kyo]

I've seen a lot of requests for pictures of the 2x setup.. so here you go. If there is anything specific you want a better shot of let me know.. these were just camera phone shots, but I do have a real camera with macro lens if you want better pictures :)

http://nothingtoseehere.info/rep2x/2.jpg

http://nothingtoseehere.info/rep2x/3.jpg

http://nothingtoseehere.info/rep2x/4.jpg

http://nothingtoseehere.info/rep2x/5.jpg

http://nothingtoseehere.info/rep2x/6.jpg

Kyle

[Damian Gto]

Thanks.

Can you also make a photo from the backside?

I want to look on one thing :-)

[Joseph Chiu]

Cool, thanks!  It looks like the hot end now has some kind of a thermal surround?  Could you take a closer pic of that?  I am really curious about that. 

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[AKron]

Oh boy, just as I feared, plastic arms on the build platform. Luckily
I have a set a Al arms from Bottleworks for my Rep1, but not so lucky
for the Rep2X we ordered at work.
Roll up your support sleeves Makerbot, we ordered the $500 support
option too.

[kyo]

More pictures, bit better quality this time. Let me know if there is anything else you guys want to see, or if I misread what it is you wanted a shot of.. a couple of these were requests, the others are just better shots.

http://nothingtoseehere.info/rep2x/7.jpg

http://nothingtoseehere.info/rep2x/8.jpg

http://nothingtoseehere.info/rep2x/9.jpg

http://nothingtoseehere.info/rep2x/10.jpg

Kyle

[Damian Gto]

Thanks.

Now I know how it look and can make one thing that can solve 3 problem :-)

[James McCracken]

Ahh... how many times have I made this exact request.

For some reason they never actually send the photo though ;)

[Gary Crowell]

Good pics, very informative.. Did they cover the back of the LCD board?

Kyle

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[Jetguy]

Picture of the right side of the bot from the outside zoomed in on the
X motor bracket where the X motor cable and endstop cable are held in
a slot and then flew upward to the top of the bot. We care about the
groove where the wire is held and anything such as a pin jammed into
the slot holding the wires in place.

As an owner, you might want to keep an eye on that spot as it looks to
be identical to the Replicator 2 and thus a possible failure point.

> > I want to look on one thing :-)- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[TobyCWoods]

EH!?

No downward fan?

How ya gonna print PLA??? 

WasUpWitDAT?!!

If I turn off the downward fan for layers above the 3rd I get a saaaaggg...

 

Well this is a surprise! I thought it was for both ABS and PLA!  I guess you'll have to add a fan.. Probably to just one side since dual extrusion with PLA is too ooozy.

[kyo]

I'll see what I can do as soon as this current print is finished

Kyle

[Ichigo]

I hate that fan, when printing on my Rep 2, I keep that thing turned off... it had ruined prints on more than 1 occasion...

[Dan Newman]

On 12 Mar 2013 , at 11:38 AM, Gary Crowell wrote:

> Good pics, very informative.. Did they cover the back of the LCD board?

The backside is covered in the Rep 2, for what that's worth.

When I had to clean some debris out of my Rep 2's SD card slot (which it is prone to
collecting given it's location and orientation), I decided to pull the whole unit out.
The 3v3 regulator is where it belongs: on the LCD/button module board instead of on
the motherboard. However, rather than leaving unconnected the ribbon connector pins/wires
which the Rep 1 used for 3v3 wires on the ribbon cable, they tied them to ground.
SOOOO, if you were to plug a Rep 2 LCD/button module into a Rep 1 motherboard, you
may burn out the motherboard. Depends upon how it hands tying it's 3v3 rail to
ground.

Dan

[Damian Gto]

Its for ABS....

[Philipp Geis]

Do the pictures tell us that The Al Arms from bottelworks will fit the 2x?

[Philipp Geis]

Sorry, posted to fast.

Can you take some pics of the arms please, the cable of the HBP an the arm mounting. thx in advance

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

Kyle,

It looks great, I bet you must be feeling very excited - I felt like a child giddy with excitement for the first few days when I got my Rep2  =)

[Jetguy]

Already confirmed, the Bottleworks Z arms should work. Might require
a massage here and there but no reason why they shouldn't be very
close to just working with little to no mods.

[Bottleworks]

The first revision of arms will only fit the rep 1. There will be available a version that will fit the 2/2x. It will be released soon. If the OP is willing, I need a measurement of a section of your bot...

[kyo]

Reverse engineering is a good portion of one of my many jobs.. tell me what you need.

I haven't had any problems yet, but plastic arms seem like a horribly stupid idea from an engineering standpoint.. not quite as bad an idea as acrylic build plates were, or cheaply manufactured aluminum ones that aren't flat.. but still, dumb.

[David Celento]

Can anybody with a R2x comment on printing PLA without the lower blower fans? This departure from the R2 is a bit of a surprise. Do the lower fans matter significantly on the R2? (I haven't printed with them off)

[Jetguy]

Ok, not the R2 /2X answer but EVERY other printer that uses PLA has a
small cooling fan for the purpose of cooling the print. Most are not
blower style (too much volume and pressure) and most are speed
adjustable on the fly via the software or LCD (speaking from an
Ultimaker owner). Type A has it, M2 from Makergear has it, so they all
recomemend a fan and I do too. The key here is how strong and hard it
blows, is the airflow a uniform exit around the nozzle or coming from
one side. Type and Ultimaker stock flans do blow from one side, but
they are a 40 and 50mm regular fan, not run at full speed and sometims
not shrouded.

I also know, a printed system like this around the nozzle works great
on a UM as it helps make the air non-directional http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:15316
or this one was my favorite http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:20459
Only downside is that anything that close to the nozzle must be ABS,
not PLA due to heat as PLA gets soft as low as 80-100C. You need a
friend with an ABS capable machine.

[Kobus du Toit]

So Jetguy, from the photos so far, did they just add another extruder to the Rep2 and charge a couple hundred $ extra for that on the 2x?

Getting more scared about getting my 2x next week than excited. How many thousands does it cost to get a rep2 to print?

[Damian Gto]

The Rep2x has a lot more stuff that is not in the Rep 2.

Also most of the time you do NOT need to spend a dime on the rep2 or rep2x to make it print. It do work out of the box( but you need to calibrate and tweak it first and learn how it works). If you are very unlucky you might need to fix some stuff.

Then you can spend 100's of dollars to make it better, but that is not anything you NEED to do.

Here is a couple of things that the rep2x has and not the rep2:

Dual color prints.

Heated print bed.

Better power supply.

Closed bot( plastic on the front, side and the top).

Better plunger.

Print bed in aluminium.

I guess those are the big ones, but there is more stuff I do not remember right now.

[TobyCWoods]

When I started working with Kisslicer with my Rep2 a few long weeks back I... by accident left the setting to turn the downward fan off for the entire print. Later I learned to have it off for only the first 2 layers for a good stick... anyways for the one time I did not have it on my small test print... a filament spool clip... could not retain its shape and looked like it was partially melted. PLA ooozes a LOT more then ABS hence dual extrusion with PLA does not work... the PLA in the second extruder will leak out all over the print. 

Getting back to the downward fan... Some form of immediate cool down is required for PLA. So I went and reread the ad pages on the MBI website on the 2X... I recall them saying that it was an ABS and PLA machine... no more... There is no mention of PLA anywhere on these pages. Also... unfortunately... IMO... MBI seems to not want to explicitly state that the machine is setup for ABS only.

So it seems if you want to print PLA using a 2X something will need to be worked out and added. Can't one simply point a fan on the printout? Would that work?

[Bottleworks]

Thanks!  I have sent you an email.

[happyman]

Will it possible that you take photo of dual print traffic cone made by Rep2X? I want to know how can it print so nice as demonstrate in Makerbot Replicator 2X video without suffer from each colors wipe over one another. Is there something that help prevent ozzing in the extrudder?

 

Thanks!

[Mike Gervasi]

On Wednesday, March 13, 2013 8:51:00 AM UTC-4, Damian Gto wrote:

The Rep2x has a lot more stuff that is not in the Rep 2.

Also most of the time you do NOT need to spend a dime on the rep2 or rep2x to make it print. It do work out of the box( but you need to calibrate and tweak it first and learn how it works). If you are very unlucky you might need to fix some stuff.

Then you can spend 100's of dollars to make it better, but that is not anything you NEED to do.

Here is a couple of things that the rep2x has and not the rep2:

Dual color prints.

Heated print bed.

Better power supply.

Closed bot( plastic on the front, side and the top).

Better plunger.

Print bed in aluminium.

I guess those are the big ones, but there is more stuff I do not remember right now.

I hear MBI is hiring.

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

There is no mention of PLA anywhere on these pages. Also... unfortunately... IMO... MBI seems to not want to explicitly state that the machine is setup for ABS only.

Wow - bate and switch - I remember some people discussing here just before christmas that they decided to hold off and get the 2X instead because they thought it would do both, ABS and PLA - if you only had a single choice which would you rather print?

Then again, they may be able to redirect output from the cooling block fans over nozzles to get a bit of cooling. 

[David Celento]

Thanks for the update from MBI. Not being able to print PLA, if true (as it logically seems to be without lower cooling fans) is very discouraging. (I feel like I just found out there is no Easter Bunny...)

Does PVA (the dissolvable support material) also need lower cooling fans to prevent ooze?

Anybody working on a hack to add lower cooling fans to R2X? Seems like a highly desired item for those interested in ABS, PLA, PVA, and dual heads -- like myself.

As an aside, any other DIY printers out there that will address the above materials, with dual heads?

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

I feel like I just found out there is no Easter Bunny...

 

Wait -- there is no easter bunny? Then where do all those chocolate eggs come from? Next you will be telling me that dead parrot in the corner is actually alive =)

[Mike Gervasi]

Not dead. Just has no internal organs.

On Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 2:14 PM, Wingcommander whpthomas <m...@henri.net> wrote:

I feel like I just found out there is no Easter Bunny...

 

Wait -- there is no easter bunny? Then where do all those chocolate eggs come from? Next you will be telling me that dead parrot in the corner is actually alive =)

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[Jetguy]

> As an aside, any other DIY printers out there that will address the above materials, with dual heads?

They are working on a heated bed but don't have it yet so not ABS
without a mod.
http://www.makershed.com/Type_A_Machines_Series_1_3D_Printer_Dual_Extrude_p/mkta1.htm
http://typeamachines.com/

Or, you could hit me up for a custom build as I use gen4 Makerbot
electronics and Sailfish which does support Dual extruders. I've
already done the mods to the Type A design to support the bigger power
supply and heated bed. Dual extruders is very easy, I just haven't
demonstrated one yet in that config.

What is a cheaper and better solution in the long run is buy a
Replicator 1 dual head clone for $1200, Upgrade it with aluminum arms
for the Z axis for another $125, load Sailfish on it and maybe upgrade
to printed pinch wheel systems you print yourself and for less than
$1500 have a dual that smokes the competition. All the latest
knowledge and finest parts, in one machine for the lowest price
around.
http://ff3dp.myshopify.com/collections/creator We know that version
has an updated mightyboard that shoudl run the Sailfish firmware no
issue.

http://www.mbot3d.com/
A cheaper clone that claims they too fixed the mightyboard. If not, we
know the mods to make it work.

Makerbot need get a grip and realize, they priced themselves out of
the market by selling and overpriced and underfeatured machine. Sure,
it looks nice, but that does't matter to your wallet and certainly
doesn't imply longevity or reliability.

At least with a clone, you could buy 2 and still be better off if one
broke. In fact, you still have enough money left over to buy plastic
and upgrades and still be ahead.

[TobyCWoods]

I think it was more that the money people who are pushing things simply do not understand all that needs to be understood when it comes to product definition and placement. They see this miraculous thing and think... ooo gotta capture that mkt! This tech is complex with sooo many factors that cannot be automated in software. We'll see.

In the meantime... it should be REAL interesting to see the mods for PLA printing on a 2x!

If I were at MBI I would send a 2X to you.. Wingcommander... if you got one you can bet there will be a mod!
So 2X owners are kinda shoe horned into using ABS which means HBP, which means warping BP arms... oh boy...
If I was getting a 2X I would immediately try PLA with a decoupled fan pointed on the print to see if I could get it to print ok.

[Darrell jan]

I print with PLA on my Replicator (1), which has no fan on the model. Still comes out fine, except for overhangs. Sometimes I do use an external fan for this.

[Mike Gervasi]

That IS amazing. Completely scrubbed any mention of PLA from the page. So now it's a Hybrid Rep 1 with improved Mightyboard and HBP. They should make the Rep2 the experimental model now.

Replicator 2 RHSC (Red Headed Step Child)

[Damian Gto]

Never seen it in the first place. The videos they do not say it either.....

So where and when did you see that??

[Joseph Chiu]

Not quite.  They do sell PLA filament on the 2X page as well as ABS.

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[TaErog]

Yup, I have printed allot of PLA on a older TOM with a stock MK7 update . . . no problem at all. . . then made a fan shroud to direct some air down on the print to see how much overhang I could pull. It was easy as all hell to make and print (and did it IN PLA)

So what is with all this "you Can't" crap??  You can there is nothing stopping you at all!.  And if you want some directed air make it happen?!? Isn't it what these printers are for in the first place?? Printing parts?!

[Damian Gto]

True. But that is the only place I have seen it on there website..

[Mike Gervasi]

My bad. I could have sworn I remember it saying it was for both ABS and PLA. Looking back at older saved pages it does not. 

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[David Celento]

Ditto, my recollection.  I wish I had saved pages from back in November 2012-ish. I'm 99.99% sure this machine was advertised to do both. I even spoke with Customer Support and Tech guys about this, which was a significant reason I've been waiting to purchase a newer MB. As noted above, it's starting to seem like the Rep2X is similar in functionality to the Rep1, but different in appearance?

Dual PLA/PVA extrusion is a significant goal. The PLA is of interest largely due to: enviro aspects, low odor, and clear colors.  The PVA would be GREAT, if it works. Anybody play with this stuff for support material?

Jetguy, your recommendations are intriguing - Thank you!  What would be involved in the "custom build" you suggested?

One question about the Rep2X: Does the motherboard have the controls for two lower fans?  If so, couldn't one install them as a mod? Would they be controllable through RepG and Sailfish?

I'm beginning to fear that I have to either reconsider my goals, or wait several months (years?) until this angle is addressed by MBI or others here with the technical know-how for the Rep2X? Sigh... 

[Dan Newman]

On 13 Mar 2013 , at 2:27 PM, David Celento wrote:

> Ditto, my recollection. I wish I had saved pages from back in November
> 2012-ish. I'm 99.99% sure this machine was advertised to do both

Try the Wayback Machine,

http://web.archive.org/web/20121101000000*/http://makerbot.com

Note that the use of PLA is arguably implied by the Press Release for the 2X,

“The MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer that we introduced this past September,
is probably going to be one of the most successful 3D desktop printers of 2013, and
we love its ease of use and reliability. The MakerBot Replicator 2 was optimized for
PLA Filament, which has been proven to be a consistent-use filament. But there are
many ABS Filament fans out there that want to keep using ABS, even though it can be
a trickier and more challenging product to use. With the introduction of the MakerBot
Replicator 2X Experimental Desktop 3D Printer, we can meet the needs of all types of
desktop 3D printer users.”

Arguably in that do they mean that the 2X can meet the needs of all types of
desktop 3D printer users. Or, do they mean that MBI's product line (Rep 2, Rep 2X)
can meet the needs of all types of desktop 3D printer users. Personally, I think
they meant the latter. But it is certainly possible to read it either way.

The press release can be found at,

http://makerbot-blog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Rls_MBRep2X_CES.docx

Dan

[PhGeis]

Since I don't have I ether of the three rep or rep2 or rep2x but I ordered a rep2x which should arrive in some weeks, I am seriously interested in making sure the print of ABS and PLA works. And i am 99,999% sure when I ordered jan 2013 it was said it will support both.

How tricky will it be to add a cooling fan? Can the existing fans de redirected? There two already in place aren't there?

[Dan Newman]

On 13 Mar 2013 , at 2:46 PM, PhGeis wrote:

> Since I don't have I ether of the three rep or rep2 or rep2x but I ordered a rep2x which should arrive in some weeks, I am seriously interested in making sure the print of ABS and PLA works. And i am 99,999% sure when I ordered jan 2013 it was said it will support both.
>
> How tricky will it be to add a cooling fan? Can the existing fans de redirected? There two already in place aren't there?

You might contact MBI and ask them if the Rep 2X's circuit board is identical to that
of the Rep 2, including having the "EXTRA" output FET circuitry installed. That's
the gcode and software controllable on/off circuit for controlling the print cooling
fan. If the circuitry is there, then you can just modify your start/end gcode to turn
the cooling fan on and off. But, those board positions need to be populated. If they
are indeed using the MightyBoard RevG then it would be odd for them to stock a variant
of the board without those $1 worth of chips on them -- would be an inventory headache.

Dan

[Joseph Chiu]

If you care about the print, and not the specifics about how to go about solving it, blowing a box fan to blow into the printer should get you most of the way there...  It is certainly inelegant, but it does work.

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[TobyCWoods]

We're assuming it really needs a fan... I know my Rep2 does, but the extruder for the 2X is quite different. It's an objective question... can the 2X print PLA ... with no melty sag... without a fan?

[kyo]

It absolutely claimed that the rep2x could do both ABS and PLA when it was announced.. at least on the initial launch details. THey may have changed it very quickly, but I was one of the very first people to order one, and I have no doubt that's what it said.

I have no real use for PLA myself, but I know another person who bought one with the expectation of doing PLA and they've had no luck getting it to work at all really.

[Jetguy]

We're assuming it really needs a fan... I know my Rep2 does, but the
extruder for the 2X is quite different. It's an objective question...
can
the 2X print PLA ... with no melty sag... without a fan?

The reason for the fans is to cool the print. It doesn't matter what
extruder or printer the pastic came from. MakerBot, Ultimaker, Reprap
variant, Rostock, whatever it's a material property issue. PLA is a
veery unique plastic with different thermal properties than ABS. ABS
is more or less linear viscosity to temp up to a point. So you extrude
it and seconds later it is 99% solid as it's going to get. PLA stays
soft for a long time, even though it's temp may have dropped by half
or more. So if you extrude at 196C like me, it's still rubbery soft
and easily deformed at 98 C and will be soft for some time in minutes.
If you print a tall thin ubject or part such as the spire on one of
the castle models it wil be a melted blob of PLA because each layer
keeps adding heat without a fan.

Again, this is a property issue. The plastic must be melted coming out
of the nozzle to bond to the previous layer. It then must solidify so
when we print the next layer on top of it, the nozzle doesn't distort
the whole part. With ABS, this normally occurs before the next layer
is printed and doesn't require a fan . For PLA it's an entirely
different animal.

Yes, you can print some objects in PLA without a fan. You will find
many objects that cannot. I thikn thats a pretty fair statement.

On Mar 13, 6:01 pm, TobyCWoods <andychn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We're assuming it really needs a fan... I know my Rep2 does, but the
> extruder for the 2X is quite different. It's an objective question... can
> the 2X print PLA ... with no melty sag... without a fan?
>
>
>
> On Wednesday, March 13, 2013 2:55:50 PM UTC-7, Joseph Chiu wrote:
>
> > If you care about the print, and not the specifics about how to go about
> > solving it, blowing a box fan to blow into the printer should get you most
> > of the way there...  It is certainly inelegant, but it does work.
>

> > On Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 2:51 PM, Dan Newman <dan.n...@mtbaldy.us<javascript:>

> >> email to makerbot+u...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>.
> >> For more options, visithttps://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

[wjsteele]

I'm curious why everyone seems to think you need a fan for PLA? I've had several 3d printers of various types through the past several years, including my current Replicator 1 and have never had a single one equipped with a fan that blows on the parts to cool it. The parts I get off of my machines are fantastic quality... In fact, most people don't believe they actually come off of them they are so good, that is until they see it.

My current Rep1 is using Sailfish (Thanks Dan/Jetty!) and I'm able to dual extrude (though the head placement design sucks) and work with either flawlessly. I normally just keep ABS in the left side and PLA in the right side. (I am using my derivative of the spring loaded MK8, which works perfectly for me.)

My ToM and Cupcakes both used MK7 (qu-bd versions) as well as my PiMaker and Ultra-Bot. None of them cool the PLA like this.

Bill

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

Ditto, my recollection.  I wish I had saved pages from back in November 2012-ish. I'm 99.99% sure this machine was advertised to do both. I even spoke with Customer Support and Tech guys about this, which was a significant reason I've been waiting to purchase a newer MB. As noted above, it's starting to seem like the Rep2X is similar in functionality to the Rep1, but different in appearance?

http://www.bilbycnc.com.au/DispProd.asp?CatID=9&SubCatID=87&ProdID=cncReplicator2X

Seems like the regional Reps haven't caught up with the changed marketing message - this one in Australia (a very decent company to purchase from I might add)  - is still mentioning PLA and ABS capability.

[Mike Gervasi]

Well I knew I hadn't imagined it. At least MBI aren't saying it specifically does PLA now.

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[Jay]

I have to agree with wisteele...I have one of the 3D Systems Cube printers. It is an open design, has an unheated glass plate, and printed great PLA parts (when it worked). Their trick is a glue that is applied to the plate before printing. This sticks to PLA very well (as in I have had to smack a few fairly hard to break them loose). ABS didn't stick as well but considering the construction/design I am amazed I got any prints in ABS. I did have a high failure rate...but at this point I think it's the head. (replaced it 2x in 2 weeks and the 3rd time it died I had to box it up and ship it to Atlanta). I printed the ring above in PLA on the Cube. It has an .080" bottom face that expands to 3/8'' at the top. This stuck very well when printing. The parts were solidly in the .010" range for tolerance and to the original program. The blue 'wire' is what happened when I tried ABS...not so good there.

Jay



Here's some other parts...

wisteele wrote "I'm curious why everyone seems to think you need a fan for PLA?  I've had several 3d printers of various types through the past several years, including my current Replicator 1 and have never had a single one equipped with a fan that blows on the parts to cool it.  The parts I get off of my machines are fantastic quality... In fact, most people don't believe they actually come off of them they are so good, that is until they see it.

[David Celento]

Referencing an earlier thought by Jetguy about the possibility of a hack to add lower fans to the Rep2X: I talked with Sarah today at MBI sales (who, btw was great!). While not a tech support person, she indicated that she believes the motherboard is identical to the Rep2 and that a fan could probably be hacked for the left side. The right side would be problematic due to space constraints. I asked if the motherboard had two fan outputs/controllers on it, since the Rep2 only has one fan. She was unsure.  I'm waiting to hear from Josh in Tech Support on this issue and will report back. If there are two controllers, one could possibly use remote fans (on top?), or even a small air compressor ducted or routed to the heads? Dunno. Just speculating.

As a side note, I asked about the future possibility of MBI introducing a dual head printer with dual lower fans that would print ABS/PLA/PVA/& MAGIC PIXIE DUST (as the Rep2X was originally implied to do) -- either as an upgrade to the Rep2X or as a new unit. She was appropriately evasive, officially stating  no knowledge of any such silliness, but something from her "knowing tone" suggested that something "might be" in the works. <insert wild speculation here>

Dare we dream?

[Bryon Miller]

Wow, that really sucks!  I was on the fence between the two of these machines and went with the Rep 2 because it was going to get here quicker and the marketing suggested the 2x was for those interested in "experimenting" which I took as code for "This is not ready for the public yet".

One of the MAIN reasons I was looking at it was it was advertised as being able to print in both PLA and ABS, along with the dual extrusion.  They certainly changed their description, they made a big deal about it's ability to print in both PLA and ABS.

How many people were holding out for this machine because of that ability? 


On Tuesday, March 12, 2013 3:13:48 PM UTC-7, Damian Gto wrote:

Its for ABS....

On Tuesday, March 12, 2013 8:59:14 PM UTC+1, TobyCWoods wrote:

EH!?

No downward fan?

How ya gonna print PLA??? 

WasUpWitDAT?!!

If I turn off the downward fan for layers above the 3rd I get a saaaaggg...

 

Well this is a surprise! I thought it was for both ABS and PLA!  I guess you'll have to add a fan.. Probably to just one side since dual extrusion with PLA is too ooozy.

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

I would still really love to see a close up photo of the extruder assembly dis-assembled if anyone is game.

[Jason Aspinall]

Seconded!

[Kobus du Toit]

Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/92380311@N04/8559799348/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/92380311@N04/8558691101/in/photostream

I have had to open it probably 10 times already.  It seems the hole that the filament goes through is a bit off center.  Everytime I stop printing the plastic bulges and it can't get through the hole so I have to open up and manually get it through the hole.  I even clip off the bulge but it still can't get through easily.  The motor even started making clicking noises to try and get the filament through

[Jason Aspinall]

That second photo is very interesting... I'd would be intriguing further to see the guts of the extruder opened up (say to clean out the ABS grains) ;)

[Kobus du Toit]

If it wasn't 23:00 I would have opened it up for you now :)

But I am lucky and my build started again after trying to get it to print for the past 2 hours.  I can only build small things in the middle of the build platform currently

On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 10:56 PM, Jason Aspinall <jasp...@lionlaboratories.com> wrote:

That second photo is very interesting... I'd would be intriguing further to see the guts of the extruder opened up (say to clean out the ABS grains) ;)

--

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

Thanks Kobus!

[Count Spatula]

MakerBot specifically mention PLA printing and changing to painters tape in the 2X Startup Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WX4obxyAkn0#!

Also, I'm not a PLA master, use mostly ABS but I have printed 3 x 3 x 3" PLA prints on my ToM MK7 without a fan.  Could the success be due to slower print speed?