In the manual on page 94, in Figure 5.3 it shows the correct nozzle height. I find it very difficult to eye ball the distance the nozzle is from the glass bed, and would prefer to use feeler gauges at the four corners and adjust the heights till they are all at the same level. What would be a good gauge to use? 5mil?
EDIT:
After reading the replies to this thread I did the following.
Home the X,Y,Z axes. Placed a sheet of paper (I measured it to be just less than 5 mil) below the nozzle and adjusted the Z axis endstop until I felt some resistance. Raised the Z axis, moved the X axis over. Placed the paper below the nozzle and homed the Z axes. I adjusted the fastener with the spring at this location until I had a similiar resistance as before. I repeated this at the other corners until I got back to the first position. Then I centered the X and Y axises and adjusted the Z endstop until I had a similiar resistance on the paper.
The common ballpark figure is there should be the equivalent of the thickness of a standard sheet of paper between the glass and the nozzle. The paper should not slide in between. That’s how I set my nozzle height and it worked fine. That’s about 0.003" (0.076mm) but 0.005" may work too.
Can we continue this discussion for those of us learning.
Do you set that thickness when the bed and nozzle are cold or hot? I’m going to assume hot as the manual sequence has you load the filament hot, then set the Z height. And you use that same sheet of paper at the 4 corners and adjust the springs, etc so that the paper doesn’t move or doesn’t move easily? Do you do this by moving close to the corners and then homing the Z axis after you set the X,Y,Z home?
Ok, so you set the Z height to the thickess of a sheet of paper. Now when I do all of this and then I print the bed level calibration print, I get really flat lines. They are no roundish, then are FLAT.
So, can anyone tell me what the calibration print should look like after you set the Z height to the thickness of a piece of paper?
I set my height while both the bed and nozzle are at normal printing temp, but make sure you retract the filaments so no ooze comes out. Once the height is right, I extrude a little filament before printing.
I have always used the paper method for setting the first layer height as well. If the first layer is too flat for your liking, you can simply adjust the Z axis endstop screw by a quarter turn or so until it’s how you like it.
I like having my first layer squished really, really low. And that’s OK.
a) heat bed and nozzle to operating temp
b) set home z height with the Z stop to the thickness of a sheet of paper - so it will barely move when at home.
c) check and adjust level at the 3 remaining corner using the blocks/screws/springs
move z up one major click, move to new corner, home Z only and adjust for thickness of paper
move to next corner and repeat
d) double check starting at home and repeat as necessary.
Then if wanted adjust the first layer height for your liking? (this means - yes, it can be squished flat if you like)…
That about have it?
Wow, that is somewhat starkly different from what the manual says - yes, I’m a manual reader!
Slide a thin piece of paper underneath the nozzle on the front left corner and home. Adjust the z axis endstop until the tip of the nozzle applies a firm pressure on the paper when pulling on it. It should not tear, but some resistance should be felt.
It’s best to set your Z height (Z home) at the point on your plate that you are going to print.
If I am printing in the middle, I will move the X and Y (with the control buttons) until it is roughly in the middle of where the part will print, and then home the z to the correct spot there.
the edges of the glass are not as hot as the center, so the height may be slightly different.
Heat the bed and make sure no left of filament in on the nozzle.
Home all axis and re-adjust z axis to fit a thick business card tightly, but not too tight.
Use the same business card and check all 4 corners of the glass and make sure I feel the same pressure when sliding the business card under nozzle. Adjust screws if needed. Then move to center and see if close to corners pressure.
This is going to be a dumb question, but how do you “[adjust] the Z axis endstop until [you] felt some resistance”?
The z-axis endstop looks like a springed screw pressing against a switch. I can turn the springed screw all I like, but nothing moves. The switch may be tripped or not. The only way I can see to get it to be the same height as the paper would be to turn the screw, “home,” turn the screw, “home,” and so on, I can’t guess how many times, and with no way of feeling the changing resistance between the print-head and the paper as I go?
It’s easy to see how to adjust the other three bed corners with a hex wrench - you can do it and easily and feel the resistance change as you turn the wrench. But I must not understand what “adjusting the z-axis endstop” means. Can anyone help me understand, or maybe post a picture of what exactly you are adjusting?
EDIT:
Hmmm… I may have answered my own question. Not sure if this is what you guys are doing, but I basically adjust my z-axis endstop “too far” - so that it presses the bed - and then manually adjust it upwards and downwards with printrun until I get the desired tension of paper under the print-head. Then I turn the end-stop springed screw until I hear a click. Then I only have a few goes round of homing the axis and tweaking the screw until the machine is reproducing the tension under the paper. First perfect bed leveling test.
