Trying to print on my Mecreator2 3D printer and I have no damn clue what I am doing. I have no instructions with this printer. After countless hours of researching to find what I needed, which I thought I needed, I still can’t print anything. I have PrusaSlicer 2.9.4 downloaded and Prusa G-code Viewer. Neither of these allow for printing, which I thought they did from what I thought I understood. But after trying to print a reindeer for a test run, nothing happens after I slice the file. I have the USB printer cable plugged in and still can’t figure this out. I looked into a few other things and found something else saying that in order to print from PrusaSlicer, I am told now that I have to download yet another file to be able to read the file.
I thought that was what these other two files were for. I am completely confused now. What I read this time is I have to print through USB using a helper application named Pronterface, OctoPrint, Or Prusa Control. Am I on the right track or was purchasing this 3D printer a waste of my time and money? I am so off the beaten path right now.
As with subtractive CNC on a mill/router there are a couple of things to do/ways to do things. Broadly, much of it is the same — my understanding of this is:
CAD — this will allow getting a design which may be exported as an STL
“slicing” — this will allow importing an STL file into a program known as a slicer, e.g., “PrusaSlicer”, then applying the desired settings
once the file is ready one may either export a G-code file, or send the G-code directly to the 3D printer if it is one which is suited to that and the slicer is configured thus, and the two are connected
If the G-code is not sent to the slicer then one would copy it to a Micro-SD card or USB drive (this is the technique I use) — if one wishes, one could preview the G-code file using Prusa G-code Viewer
My computer is not SD card compatible. I have an SD card in the 3D printer, but there is no way I can send the design, i.e. STL file to the card so I could print the design. Ugh! I think I did waste my money. I should have done a bit more research first to know what is compatible with my computer via USB cable to printer.
Thanks. I will look into this reader. I cant get this thing to print on the table. I have a few files in the SD card and as it begins to print, the filament doesn’t come out right away and then as it starts coming out, the printer head drags the melted filament up off the table.
Does the printer table need something on it like painter’s tape or something else so the filament can print to it but not stick to the table? Or can I print straight to the table without anything on top?
Most folks use a regular glue stick for craft work for example, especially on a smooth plate.
Try some fresh painters tape back on the plate.
The good news is that you know the machine is working, just a few tweaks and you’ll be printing. My first 3D printer had to have an SD card inserted and then it read the file off of that to print, Very common in printers.
I am hoping I have everything to it. The lady that sold it to me lied to me about it after I got to working with this unit and trying to figure stuff out. She said it was brand new and had never been used. After getting it home, I realized that this wasn’t true and that it had printed a lot of times. Not that big of a deal but still, why lie? Anyways, I am trying to print onto a new surface of painter’s tape now, but nothing is sticking to the surface. It keeps just glopping up on the extruder head. So, not even sure if a glue stick would stop this glopping up anymore, but willing to try. Just have to go start up the truck, warm it up until all of the snow melts off, and then drive to the store to buy glue sticks. Unless someone has another idea that might help, or maybe the machine is messed up and I will not figure this out until I have played with it for too many hours. lol
It may be that settings for the specific file. What type of filament are you using? The Prusa Slicer should have defaults for the filament type you’re using. PLA, PETG?
It’s important that the bed is heating up? Each filament will have a temp range needed for adhesion. The hot end (print nozzle) also has specific temp settings for specific filament too.
I am using PLA Matte Blue 1.75mm filament. I was thumbing through the settings on the machine to see what I might find, but with me not having the manual, I am kinda winging it. My table is showing set for 50 degrees and the head is set for 210 degrees. I don’t know if that is the default setting for the machine but I can see that this isn’t correct for sure I would think.
There is a file already in the SD card for a cow. I figured I would just run that program but the temps must be off and the table isnt taking the filament hardly.
I think the temps are good then and the filament was brand new still in vacuum seal bag. I just opened it. I changed the old bed tape because it was dusty. Each time I try to run it the filament just doesn’t stick. I will have to go get some glue sticks and try that. The machine is running good and trying to do the project, but the filament is being pulled back up off the table and sticking to the head. Thanks everyone for the help. I will go to that link given and download the manual to understand things I need if anything. The filament is feeding correctly as I can feel the gear inside the extruder pull in down into the unit. So, seems to be fine. Just need a few other things to understand about this machine and I will be good. Hoping to be able to post at least a printed item from it tomorrow. Thanks again.
The plate heated up to 50 degrees and the head got up to 210 degrees. I thought maybe the head was too hot and the table was too cold causing the filament to not stick to the table and get dragged across the printing surface. I have some parts of the print stays on the tape and the far end of it comes back off and gets dragged back across the beginning of the print causing the whole print to go into total chaos.
I am reading over the manual now and see that I can print through the USB A-B cable and am trying to get the program that does the printing for this machine to download.
I figured out my problem with the printer. I was watching the printer at the beginning of the print and realize that the gap is way too big. The space between the bed and the extruder is supposed to be the thickness of a sheet of paper with just a bit of resistance. I have noticed that the gap is upwards of close to 1/16" or more. So, I will have to learn how to reset the Z height. I am reading through the manual and will figure out how to work this printer.