What you see here represents a stake in the ground, rather than the be-all and end-all configuration. Remember that my intent is to get the M2 working with its more-or-less stock hardware and firmware, make some straightforward improvements, then transition to LinuxCNC for better control and measurement.
While printing a variety of test objects (which I’ll describe shortly), I casually permuted the temperatures, speeds, and timings to gradually improve the results. In nearly all cases, the M2 performs much better than my old and highly modified Thing-O-Matic ever did, so the machinery lives up to its reputation.
Slic3r seems to be nearly as good at slicing as Skeinforge 50 and much faster, although it doesn’t handle very thin walls quite right and produces bizarre speed glitches on (or near?) layers with bridges. I wasn’t taking notes during any of this, which means you should regard it as hearsay evidence at best, but, on the whole, slic3r seems to work just fine for the non-pathological objects I generally build.
This is the Slic3r config.ini file, which (I think) contains all of the configuration information now distributed throughout the smaller files controlled by slic3r.ini:
# generated by Slic3r 0.9.8 on Tue Apr 9 08:43:22 2013 bed_size = 190,250 bed_temperature = 70 bottom_solid_layers = 3 bridge_fan_speed = 100 bridge_flow_ratio = 1 bridge_speed = 100 brim_width = 0 complete_objects = 0 cooling = 1 default_acceleration = 0 disable_fan_first_layers = 3 duplicate = 1 duplicate_distance = 6 duplicate_grid = 1,1 end_gcode = ;-- Slic3r End G-Code for M2 starts --\n; Ed Nisley KE4NZU - March 2013\nM104 S0 ; drop extruder tempeature\nM140 S0 ; drop bed temperature\nM106 S0 ; bed fan off\nG1 Z195 F2500 ; lower bed\nG1 X0 Y0 F30000 ; center nozzle\nM84 ; disable motors\n;-- Slic3r End G-Code ends -- external_perimeter_speed = 75 extra_perimeters = 1 extruder_clearance_height = 20 extruder_clearance_radius = 20 extruder_offset = 0x0 extrusion_axis = E extrusion_multiplier = 0.9 extrusion_width = 0.40 fan_always_on = 0 fan_below_layer_time = 30 filament_diameter = 1.70 fill_angle = 45 fill_density = 0.10 fill_pattern = honeycomb first_layer_bed_temperature = 70 first_layer_extrusion_width = 0 first_layer_height = 100% first_layer_speed = 30 first_layer_temperature = 165 g0 = 0 gap_fill_speed = 100 gcode_arcs = 0 gcode_comments = 0 gcode_flavor = reprap infill_acceleration = 0 infill_every_layers = 1 infill_extruder = 1 infill_extrusion_width = 0 infill_speed = 200 layer_gcode = layer_height = 0.25 max_fan_speed = 100 min_fan_speed = 50 min_print_speed = 20 min_skirt_length = 15 notes = nozzle_diameter = 0.35 only_retract_when_crossing_perimeters = output_filename_format = [input_filename_base].gcode perimeter_acceleration = 0 perimeter_extruder = 1 perimeter_extrusion_width = 0 perimeter_speed = 100 perimeters = 1 post_process = print_center = 0,0 randomize_start = 1 retract_before_travel = 1 retract_length = 1.0 retract_length_toolchange = 5 retract_lift = 0 retract_restart_extra = 0 retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0 retract_speed = 300 rotate = 0 scale = 1 skirt_distance = 5 skirt_height = 1 skirts = 1 slowdown_below_layer_time = 10 small_perimeter_speed = 25 solid_fill_pattern = concentric solid_infill_below_area = 70 solid_infill_every_layers = 0 solid_infill_speed = 100 start_gcode = ;-- Slic3r Start G-Code for M2 starts --\n; Ed Nisley KE4NZU - March 2013\nM140 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; start bed heating\nG90 ; absolute coordinates\nG21 ; millimeters\nM83 ; relative extrusion distance\nM84 ; disable stepper current\nG4 S3 ; allow Z stage to freefall to the floor\nG28 X0 ; home X\nG92 X-95 ; set origin to 0 = center of plate\nG1 X0 F30000 ; origin = clear clamps on Y\nG28 Y0 ; home Y\nG92 Y-125 ; set origin to 0 = center of plate\nG1 Y-122 F30000 ; set up for prime near front edge\nG28 Z0 ; home Z\nG92 Z1.0 ; set origin to measured z offset\nM190 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; wait for bed to finish heating\nM109 S[first_layer_temperature] ; set extruder temperature and wait\nG1 Z0.0 F2500 ; plug extruder on plate\nG1 E10 F300 ; prime to get pressure\nG1 Z5 F2500 ; rise above blob\nG1 Y-115 F30000 ; move away\nG1 Z0.0 F2500 ; dab nozzle to remove outer snot\nG4 P1 ; pause to clear\nG1 Z0.1 ; clear bed for travel\n;-- Slic3r Start G-Code ends -- support_material = 0 support_material_angle = 0 support_material_extruder = 1 support_material_extrusion_width = 0 support_material_pattern = rectilinear support_material_spacing = 2.5 support_material_speed = 100 support_material_threshold = 0 temperature = 165 threads = 2 toolchange_gcode = top_solid_infill_speed = 50 top_solid_layers = 3 travel_speed = 500 use_relative_e_distances = 0 vibration_limit = 0 z_offset = 0
The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning 