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Getting Started Guide 4 – How to Setup and Tune Your 3D Printer

Getting Started Guide 4 – How to Setup and Tune Your 3D Printer

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Table of Contents
  1. Machine-Specific Setup and Tuning Guides
  2. General Setup Instructions
    1. Tool Recommendations for Setup
  3. Printer Identification
  4. Firmware Identification
  5. Calibrating Your Printer
    1. Calibrate the Extruder
    2. level Your Bed
    3. Calibrate X, Y, and Z
  6. Quick Links

Welcome to part 3! I’ll explain here how to do a basic setup and calibration of your new 3d printer. This one can be frustrating and

Machine-Specific Setup and Tuning Guides

We’re tirelessly working to make new, high quality guides to step you through printer setup. They can be found here at the top with specific instructions. Keep reading for the general guidance if you don’t see your model.

  • Bambu
    • X1 Carbon – In Progress
  • Creality
    • Ender 3 /Pro – In Progress
    • Ender 5/ Pro- In Progress
  • Sovol
    • SV07 Plus- In Progress

General Setup Instructions

Tool Recommendations for Setup

  • Calipers – Its hard to measure things accurately without them,
  • Feeler Gauge – For leveling your bed. Paper is fine but precision gauges are better.
  • Metric Allen Wrenches – Metric printers require metric tools. Your printer comes with some that are useable but any set you buy is better.
  • A carpenters square (Very Optional) – Most 3D printers are made up of aluminum sections that meet each other at 90 degree angles. This tool is helpful for checking those angles on the bits you have to install yourself and the ones that come from the factory. Most of the time they cut them very well, but every now and again one will be a little messed up.
  • The Slicer of your choice. See “Slicing Software Showdown 2K24“.

Printer Identification

The first hurdle to calibration is identifying your printer type and firmware. The most common FDM printer types being bowden and direct drive. If your extruder assembly is directly attached to your hot end then its a direct drive. If they are connected by a long tube then it is a bowden printer.

Bowden Tube Printer
Direct Drive Printer

Firmware Identification

There are two primary types of firmware. Marlin and Klipper. This will vary the details of how tuning is done but the process will largely be the same. You should be able to tell the difference by the splash screen when you start your printer.

Klipper Splash Screen
Marlin Splash Screen

Calibrating Your Printer

Calibrate the Extruder
  • For Marlin firmware – Locate the place in your printer UI where the e-step values are stored. Consult the manual or, if we have it, the specific guide above. When you change one of these values you only need to save the settings.
  • For Klipper firmware – It will depend on the model if you can tune this from the printer controller. You will more likely have to access your printers web UI. These settings can be found in the printer.cfg file and can be edited in the webUI. When these values are updated they need to be saved then klipper needs to be restarted for them to take effect.
  1. Heat the printer nozzle to 220 and feed some filament into the extruder.
  2. On the filament measure from the extruder inlet port and place a mark on the filament at 100, and 110 mm
  3. Note the extruders e-step or rotation distance value
  4. In the printer UI instruct your extruder to extrude 100mm (You may get an error on bowden printers instructing you to heat up the nozzle. If so, heat the nozzle.)
  5. Wait until its done extruding.
  6. Measure from the top surface of the extruder assembly to the 100mm mark (110mm if you have overshot) on the filament.
  7. Update the stepper value –
    • Marlin – Using the calculator E-Step Calibration – Get the new E step value.
      • In the printer UI set the extruder to the new value
      • Save settings
      • Alternatively, in the console, send the command M92 E<value> then M500 to save
    • Klipper – Using the calculator Getting Started Guide Appendix – Rotation Distance Calculator – Get the new rotation distance value.
      • Update your printer.cfg file with the new value.
      • Save and reboot.
  8. Repeat this process two or three times until your measurements are consistent. The 100mm dot should be stopping half way into the extruder port.
  9. Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and this. Get within 1mm of 100mm and adjust the rest in software later.
level Your Bed
Level your bed
  1. Find your feeler gauges.
  2. Tighten all bed adjustment screws all the way.
  3. Home all axes.
    • If the nozzle contacts the bed adjust your z stop until the bed stops a few mm under the nozzle.
  4. In your printer settings disable your stepper motors (should be under your motion control options)
  5. Preheat the hot end and print bed (220 and 60).
  6. Move the nozzle above one of the bed adjustment screws.
  7. Place the 0.2mm feeler gauge between the nozzle and the bed.
  8. Tighten until you feel a little bit of vibration coming through the feeler gauge.
  9. Move nozzle to another bed screw and repeat.
  10. Do 2 or 3 laps of your print bed until the vibration is consistent at each point without further adjusting.
Calibrate X, Y, and Z
  1. Install your slicer of choice.
  2. Insert your filament of choice.
    • Read through he filament deathmatch if you’re still deciding. – LINK HERE –
  3. Download the calibration cube
  4. Drop it into your slicer and slice it with the default 0.2mm profile. Remember to use temperatures relevant to your filament.
  5. Send the sliced model to your printer and start printing
  6. Keep an eye on the first layer as your bed will probably need further adjustment.
    • Lower your bed if
      • The first layer is barely visible or very thin.
      • Little to no filament is being extruded onto the build plate.
      • Filament gathers on the nozzle.
      • Extruded plastic immediately comes off bed and its crushed .
    • Raise your bed if
      • Filament doesn’t stick to the build surface and its not being flattened by the nozzle
      • Filament comes out like spaghetti.
  7. Continue adjusting until you get an output like the image below then finish the calibration cube.
  8. Measure and update values –
  9. Reprint the cube
  10. Repeat until your measurements are within 0.1mm
Your first layer should look something like what’s in the middle.

Quick Links

Choose your calibrator depending on your printer’s firmware

Additional reading:

Comments

3 responses to “Getting Started Guide 4 – How to Setup and Tune Your 3D Printer”

  1. bulletsd1 Avatar
    bulletsd1

    I just got my first 3D Printer in the mail today. I’ve been to busy all day to set it up, now I’m barely about to get it done.
    I’m really excited about printing my first ? .
    Thanks for the videos. I would of never bought one if these ” getting started ” videos were not here .
    Thank You

    1. ctrlpew Avatar
      ctrlpew

      You’re welcome!

  2. Getting Started Guide 0 – How to Start 3D Printing Quickly » CTRL+Pew

    […] and tech read through – Getting Started 1 – 3D Printer Shopping Guide. Otherwise head to Getting Started Guide 3 – How to Setup and Tune Your 3D Printer to … well … setup and tune your 3d […]

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