The New Hotness

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