Category: 3D Printing

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CR10 Configure E-Steps With This Gcode File

The code below will heat the hot end nozzle up to 185 and then set the e-steps to 147.19, and then slowly extrude 100mm of filament.

To use it, mark a line 120mm from your extruder on your filament. Run this gcode as if Cura spit it out. Measure the line. You want to be at 20mm when it’s done.

100 / ( 120 – measurement_after_extruding ) * current Esteps = New_Esteps.

The measurement_after_extruding is the distance from your extruder to your line after extruding. You are shooting for 20mm

M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
 ;*** Start Preheating ***
 M104 S185 T0 ; start preheating hotend
 G28 ; home
 M109 S185 T0 ; heat hotend to 185 
 ;*** End Preheating ***
 M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate
 M221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate
 G28 ;Home
 G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
 G1 Z20.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
 G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
 G1 Z10.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
 M92 E147.19; set e-steps to 141
 G92 E0  
 G1 E100 F100   ; Extrude 100mm
 M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
 M104 S0
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140 Resistor Labels for 3D Printed Organizer

I created paper labels for the E24 Series Resistor Storage Solution on Thingiverse. I liked this approach, but I figured that paper labels would suffice. I used Python to generate the html to avoid any repetitive work.

The already-generated text labels can be found here. Printing in standard “Letter” size in Chrome onto card stock worked for me. The intention is to remove the black box surrounding the resistor values with scissors. (I need a laser cutter!)

The Python file is available here in case there’s anything you may want to customize.

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New Gear Solved Underextrusion Problems In 3D Printing

Getting a good, strong 3D print is a mess. Maybe another way of saying it is 3D printing with a CR-10 is a labor of love. I’m told the CR-10 is a capable machine. On good days it does what I need. I’m told something like the Prusa i3 requires substantially less tinkering, but then I find the occasional Youtube video where a person has a mess with those, too. It seems there is no 100% perfect solution.

Either way, I’m a tinkerer so here we go.

I was facing underextrusion on pretty much every print. The underextrusion wasn’t BAD and my picture of it isn’t great, either, but you could see missing lines from the print that should clearly be in there. Missing layers means the plastic didn’t get squirted where it was supposed to. It makes prints weak. I’m not overly concerned about the aesthetics, but that’s not ideal either.

I picked up a $6 back of steel extrusion gears from Amazon that had much more aggressive teeth than my stock CR-10. My previous gear seemed kinda worthless and it had no shortage of ground-up PLA dust on it. Maybe cleaning that would have helped. I installed the new gear, recalculated my e-steps, and tossed the correct code into Cura. My very first print has zero underextrusion. Problem solved. That NEVER happens.

Note:  Ignore the crunch edges.  That’s the brim that suddenly became a real pain to get off a few weeks ago.  It needs to be sanded off.

Before New Gear

 

After New Gear