The Thing-O-Matic hardware isn’t up to the standards of, say, an M2, but, after all my tweakage, it’s Good Enough for most purposes. These Slic3r settings should provide a reasonable starting point to get it working the way it used to with its new controller.
The key extrusion dimensions:
- 0.4 mm nozzle → 0.5 mm minimum thread width
- 0.25 mm layer thickness
The speeds come from the old Skeinforge configuration, dialed back a bit for sanity:
- 150 mm/s non-printing XY travel
- 10 mm/s minimum printing speed
- 20 mm/s first layer printing for better adhesion
- 40 mm/s general printing
- 60 mm/s infill
Some of the finer settings are completely arbitrary and everything requires tweaking, along with Marlin’s acceleration & jerk settings, for best picture.
The exported Slic3r configuration:
# generated by Slic3r 1.0.0RC1 on Fri Jan 17 11:25:02 2014 avoid_crossing_perimeters = 0 bed_size = 105,120 bed_temperature = 110 bottom_solid_layers = 3 bridge_acceleration = 0 bridge_fan_speed = 100 bridge_flow_ratio = 1 bridge_speed = 40 brim_width = 0 complete_objects = 0 cooling = 1 default_acceleration = 0 disable_fan_first_layers = 1000 duplicate = 1 duplicate_distance = 6 duplicate_grid = 1,1 end_gcode = ;---- end.gcode starts ----\n; TOM 286 - Al plates + Geared extruder\n; Ed Nisley - KE4ZNU - January 2014\n; Marlin with tweaks for Azteeg X3 with thermocouple\n;- inhale filament blob\nG91\nG1 E-5 F900\nG90\n;- turn off heaters\nM104 S0 ; extruder head\nM140 S0 ; HBP\n;- move to eject position\nG1 Z999 F1000 ; home Z to get nozzle away from object\nG92 Z115 ; reset Z\nG1 X0 F6000 ; center X axis\nG1 Y35 ; move Y stage forward\n;---- end.gcode ends ---- external_perimeter_speed = 50% external_perimeters_first = 0 extra_perimeters = 1 extruder_clearance_height = 20 extruder_clearance_radius = 20 extruder_offset = 0x0 extrusion_axis = E extrusion_multiplier = 1.00 extrusion_width = 0.50 fan_always_on = 0 fan_below_layer_time = 1 filament_diameter = 2.95 fill_angle = 45 fill_density = 0.15 fill_pattern = honeycomb first_layer_acceleration = 0 first_layer_bed_temperature = 110 first_layer_extrusion_width = 0.50 first_layer_height = 0.25 first_layer_speed = 20 first_layer_temperature = 200 g0 = 0 gap_fill_speed = 30 gcode_arcs = 0 gcode_comments = 0 gcode_flavor = reprap infill_acceleration = 0 infill_every_layers = 3 infill_extruder = 1 infill_extrusion_width = 0.50 infill_first = 1 infill_only_where_needed = 1 infill_speed = 60 layer_gcode = layer_height = 0.25 max_fan_speed = 100 min_fan_speed = 35 min_print_speed = 10 min_skirt_length = 5 notes = nozzle_diameter = 0.4 only_retract_when_crossing_perimeters = 1 ooze_prevention = 0 output_filename_format = [input_filename_base].gcode overhangs = 1 perimeter_acceleration = 0 perimeter_extruder = 1 perimeter_extrusion_width = 0.50 perimeter_speed = 40 perimeters = 2 post_process = print_center = 0,0 raft_layers = 0 randomize_start = 1 resolution = 0.05 retract_before_travel = 0.5 retract_layer_change = 0 retract_length = 2 retract_length_toolchange = 10 retract_lift = 0 retract_restart_extra = 0 retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0 retract_speed = 60 rotate = 0 scale = 1 skirt_distance = 2 skirt_height = 1 skirts = 3 slowdown_below_layer_time = 15 small_perimeter_speed = 50% solid_fill_pattern = rectilinear solid_infill_below_area = 5 solid_infill_every_layers = 0 solid_infill_extrusion_width = 0.50 solid_infill_speed = 150% spiral_vase = 0 standby_temperature_delta = -5 start_gcode = ;---- start.gcode begins ----\n; TOM 286 - Al plates + Geared extruder + Zmin platform sense\n; Ed Nisley - KE4ZNU - January 2014\n; Marlin with tweaks for Azteeg X3 with thermocouple\n;\n; Set initial conditions\nG21 ; set units to mm\nG90 ; set positioning to absolute\n;----------\n; Begin heating\nM104 S[first_layer_temperature] ; extruder head\nM140 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; start bed heating\n;----------\n; Home axes\nG28 X0 Y0 Z0\nG92 X-53.5 Y-58.5 Z115.0\n;----------\n; Initial nozzle wipe to clear snot for Z touchoff\nG1 X0 Y0 Z3.0 F1500 ; pause at center to build confidence\nG4 P1000\nG1 Z10 ; ensure clearance\nG1 X39 Y-58.0 F10000 ; move to front, avoid wiper blade\nG1 X55 ; to wipe station\nG1 Z6.0 ; to wipe level\nM116 ; wait for temperature settling\nG1 Y-45 F500 ; slowly wipe nozzle\n;-----------------------------------------------\n; Z platform height touchoff\n; Make sure the XY position is actually over the switch!\n; Home Z downward to platform switch\n; Compensate for 0.05 mm backlash in G92: make it 0.05 too low\nG1 X56.0 Y8.2 Z4.0 F6000 ; get over build platform switch\n;G1 Z0 F50 ; home downward very slowly\n;G92 Z1.45 ; set Z-min switch height\nG1 Z6.0 F1000 ; back off switch to wipe level\n;-----------------------------------------------\n; Prime extruder to stabilize initial pressure\nG1 X55 Y-45 F6000 ; set up for wipe from rear\nG1 Y-58.0 F500 ; wipe to front\nG91 ; use incremental motion for extrusion\nG1 F2 ; set slow rate\nG1 E10 ; extrude enough to get good pressure\nG1 F4000 ; set for fast retract\nG1 E-2.0 ; retract\nG90 ; back to absolute motion\nG1 Y-45 F1000 ; wipe nozzle to rear\n;----------\n; Set up for Skirt start in left rear corner\n; Compensate for Z backlash: move upward from zero point\nG1 X-50 Y55 Z0.0 F10000 ; left rear corner -- kiss platform\nG1 Z0.2 F1500 ; take up Z backlash to less than thread height\nG92 E1.0 ; preset to avoid huge un-Reversal blob\n;G1 X0 Y0\n;---- start.gcode ends ---- start_perimeters_at_concave_points = 1 start_perimeters_at_non_overhang = 1 support_material = 0 support_material_angle = 0 support_material_enforce_layers = 0 support_material_extruder = 1 support_material_extrusion_width = 0.50 support_material_interface_extruder = 1 support_material_interface_layers = 3 support_material_interface_spacing = 0 support_material_pattern = honeycomb support_material_spacing = 2.5 support_material_speed = 60 support_material_threshold = 0 temperature = 200 thin_walls = 1 threads = 2 toolchange_gcode = top_infill_extrusion_width = 0.50 top_solid_infill_speed = 50% top_solid_layers = 3 travel_speed = 150 use_firmware_retraction = 0 use_relative_e_distances = 0 vibration_limit = 0 wipe = 0 z_offset = 0
The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning 