3D Printing Updates Needed for an old Workhorse: CR-10S

[Charles_McG]

Just temporary. The old chest it was sitting got moved.

 

[DRAGON64]

I considered printing the parts to do an "stand-alone" upgard for my printer, but when you watch the videos of the process, I decided I did not want that hassle, and I decided it would not make my prints any better or less stringy...

I was considering this print here:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3862710

 

[DRAGON64]

Except for the Z-Axis screw supports, everything else has arrived, and I can begin tearing down my CR-10S to begin the upgrade and refresh procedure. One of the last ietms to arrive was the frame supports, and they are real nice! Solid aluminum tubes with all metal bracketry that uses inserts to mount into the extruded rails.

 

[DRAGON64]

All upgrade components for the rework have arrived, but my wife has asked that I wait till we are snowed in (yeah right), or till after Christmas, as we are busy all the way to Sunday!

My printer is uncovered once more, now that 'Christmas' is back in the closet.



And the parts are ready to be unpacked and installed... I also picked up more PLA, PETG and some ABS filament.

 

[DRAGON64]

I bit off a bit more than I thought I could manage. The TH3D board is not exactly a one-2-one replacement. I took lots of pics of my wiring to make sure I transfer the correct connectors, but the reference designators on the TH3D board are not labeled exactly the same... ugh!

Here is where I am at...

 

[OverTheTop]

Be careful with the USB connectors on the board that comes with those printers. My intern knocked the USB cable and managed to lift the USB connector from the PCB last week. The soldering of the shell and the main connections was not given enough heat during assembly so most of the joints were really just sitting there with head-on-pillow mostly. Luckily she has learned to solder well during her time with us and quickly had the offending connector back on and the system working again.

She is currently working on dialing-in the new Micro Swiss extruder head. It is working but we are now finessing the printing.

 

[DRAGON64]

I have managed to get the CR-10S back together and mostly working... The Z-axis motors/steppers are having a problem when I try to home the printer, as they just make a grinding noise when they are activated. However, the other motors, which seem to be working just fine, run so quietly now, amazing!

 

[Charles_McG]

I’ve seen that! But, shoot, I can’t remember what the fix was.

 

[DRAGON64]

I fixed the Z-motor(s) noise; there was binding in the frame where I installed the support posts. Now the Z axis will not home, as it merely keeps going up and up, even on the auto home.

 

[Charles_McG]

Have you tried short movements in manual mode? Is the Z-direction reversed?

 

[DRAGON64]

Short movements homing just the Z-axis keep sendthen gantry higher. Also, looks like I zeroed the bad in the center, and I seem to remember originally zeroing the bed on the front left corner.

Edit: Apparently, the system is reading the limit sensor as activated and it thinks the Z axiz is hime. When I auto home while holding doen the z-axis limit switch, the gantry continues to lower...

 

[DRAGON64]

Well, when I ordered my TH3D board, there was a $15 option to have them load the firmware before shipping... apparently the link was bad, and it did not get loaded... I now get to update the firmware myself, and that should take care of the problems I am having.

 

[Charles_McG]

I've done it from the source and the developer tools. (Memory escapes me - but I know I've done it.) The last couple of times, I've used the web tool where you pick the options and it builds a .BIN to download.

 

[DRAGON64]

Like you, I used the GUI to build the firmware file for my printer, loaded it on my SD card, but there is no change when I install the SD card, and power up the printer. How do I know I have loaded the firmware to the right folder? I have tried a coupler different loactaions, and it is as if the printer is not seeing it.

Anyway, I am going back to TH3D to work with their tech support to see if I can resolve the issue...

 

[DRAGON64]

So, TH3D support says I need to get an 8G or smaller SD card to load the firmware, and I need new cards anyway, so I ordered a new set of 8G micro SD cards for this effort. I am putting this venture aside until the cards come in, which will be next week.

 

[Charles_McG]

Ahhh. I save the big cards for cameras and use little ones in the printers. I would have never noticed.

BTW - I have a continuing issue with my EZBoard. Annoyance - not huge. It reboots when I put a card back in. It's not supposed to - but it does. The last firmware update I applied was supposed to fix it - but didn't. I haven't refreshed recently.

 

[DRAGON64]

Success! My son donated a 4G Micro SD to my cause, and I was able to install the new firmware onto the TH3D board, and I am now up an running. I am currently printing a test print of "The Cat" that came with the printer originally, and so far so good. The printer runs so quiet and smooth right now, I could not be happier!

 

[DRAGON64]

Looks like I will need to build a workstation in order to add another printer. I have an Ender 5 S1 in the box, and it will not fit shoulder to shoulder with the CR-10S.

Looks like I need a recoiling cable reel for my bowden tube/wire harness:



First print on rebuild is currently running silently...

 

[rharshberger]

Looks like I will need to build a workstation in order to add another printer. I have an Ender 5 S1 in the box, and it will not fit shoulder to shoulder with the CR-10S.

Looks like I need a recoiling cable reel for my bowden tube/wire harness:

View attachment 554092

First print on rebuild is currently running silently...

View attachment 554093

I use a ID badge retract reel for my bowdeb tube (where you have a bungee), and it works very well. I even downloaded a stl for a hanger for it from Thingiverse (been a couple of years.

 

[DRAGON64]

Alright, I had an extruder head problem, that I think I have fixed, but now I am having trouble with CURA 5.2 taking all of the NEW files and printing them in the lower left hand corner. Looking at the settings of my printer in CURA, I do have the "Origin at Center" box checked...



...and my files is sliced at the center...



Anyone have any ideas for a fix?

 

[Bravo52]

Try "UnChecking" the "Origin a Center" box.

 

[DRAGON64]

Bingo! Origin was the center of "home" and not the center of the plate... Benchy nearly completed.




I had to re-work the extruder head, as it would lose contact with the filament. Also stripped a screw hole in the extruder stepper motor, so I had to turn it 90 degrees to get all hardware to mount securly. Fixed the extruder issue.

 

[Bravo52]

You know, it does seem silly (polite word) that checkbox is not meant for the center of the build plate but the center of the build object. The extruder offsets are basically nothing more than saying "the nozzle isn't at the center of the extruder".

 

[DRAGON64]

The check box put the start of the print in the middle of the auto home on my printer (lower left), and that makes perfect sense now. Printed a real nice Benchy for testing. Now I am printing a bunch of 38 Special reload trays, as Franford #4 trays seem to be out of stock everywhere...

 

[Bravo52]

I printed a bunch of “thumb savers” for stocking stuffers this Christmas!