Printrbot Simple Metal Setup w/ Calibration & Notes

Step-by-Step Guide: One to Two Hours

1. Unbox the Printrbot (Directions)
2. Cut the zip tie, unscrew and remove screw & washer
3. Follow the directions for Cura (also listed in steps 4 to 8)
4. Download and install Cura 3D Printer software (LINK)
5. Download the printer drivers (Guide for Win 7/8): serial_install.exe
6. Plug in the power cord and connect the USB cord to your computer
7. Open Cura and select your printer
8. File - Preferences -> ‘Printing Window Type:’ Change to “Pronterface UI”
9. File -> Open Profile, Load the “Getting Started.ini” file (LINK)
10. Follow the directions for calibrating your 3D printer (also listed in steps 11 to 24)
11. Place blue painter’s tape (wider tape preferred, like 2.88in) down on the middle of the
print bed. Wider tape means that you only have to reapply one strip each change.
a. Use rubbing alcohol/isopropyl alcohol (91%) or sandpaper on the blue tape and
wipe down with a cloth
b. I like isopropyl alcohol (91%) in a spray bottle onto a cloth the best. It is also the
cheapest option and has minimal clean up/waste.
c. A good stick is when you need to use a tool to remove the print. Use a chisel
wedge putty knife (~2 inches wide) to careful push up prints. Be careful about
scrapping the bed or blue tape, so slide it across.
d. Wipe down blue tape after each print
e. Replace blue tape after prints don’t stick as well, after 5 prints, or after you can’t
remove the remnants of the last few prints (still leaves a mark).
12. In Cura, “Load model file” 3mm box STL (LINK)
a. Play around with the view options and editing options
i. Print at 0.5 scale to go faster (50% = 50% X, Y, and Z, much smaller)
ii. View the layers, x-ray, transparent, and overhang
13. Click the middle button on the top-left “Print with USB”
14. Click the Home X button, then Home Y button, then +10 Z three times (or just once)
15. Put ‘210’ in the temperature box and press ‘tab’ to start the heat
a. Change the temperature to keep it heated up
16. In the field, use ‘M501’ to see the settings, ‘M500’ to save the settings, and ‘M212’ to
change specific parameters
 a. After you calibrate, you rarely ever have to change your settings
b. Check what your Z settings are by: ‘M501’ and look at the last line and Z. It should
be Z0.7 or even down to Z-0.4
17. Once the temperature hits 210 Celsius, push the extruder spring down with force and run
PLA filament through.
a. Note: Make sure the PLA archs up and the spool is above or behind the device.
I’ve found the best spot is above and behind (to reduce the PLA tangling). There
are some 3D printed spool holders to attach to the two metal poles, but you need it
now, not after 2 hours of printing a spool holder (long jobs take constant
supervision at first)
b. Holding the extruder spring requires a lot of constant force. There are two good
Thingiverse extruder handles. The small one was too small for my printer, no idea
why, and the other one takes around 2 hours to make. It should be worth it if you
change out PLA often.
18. Feed the PLA through until it comes out melted
a. Note: there will be some leftover PLA from manufacture calibration
19. Place the black spacer under the orange head (auto-leveling probe) on the print bed
a. This is to get the probe and printer head close, but not touching the print bed
20. Twist the large screw near the back (between the two metal rods) until that orange head
touches the spacer
a. Note: it moves slowly and takes about a minute
21. Go to Cura and hit ‘Print’ to print the 3mm box, be ready to unplug (turn off the surge
protector) in case the print head hits the print bed and damages it. Assembled kits should
be fine.
22. If the print head seems far away then adjust ‘M212 Z’ to something lower and print again.
Go down by 0.2. If it starts at Z0.7, then try ‘M212 Z0.5.’
a. You might be able to jump down to Z0.0 (which is around the right height)
b. I set mine to Z-0.2, which they recommended, but I was scared to jump that low
c. My final setting is Z-0.3, If the skirt, the outline of the print that is put down before it
starts printing your object, looks good and sticks, then your print should be good
23. Wipe down the blue tape with alcohol after each print to ensure a good stick
24. Print until you are satisfied with the print: (1) box is solid not too stringy, (2) box’s bottom
is almost perfect, (3) the print doesn’t look smashed
a. If the PLA is stringy, try increasing the temperature 5 degrees at a time
b. I tried 5 box prints at Z= 0.7, 0.5, 0.2, -0.1, and -0.2 (each time, they got better)
25. Download the Fan Shroud as your first print and attach it to your printer’s fan (LINK)
a. Unzip the file (or open it and copy the STL file and paste where you want it)
b. Print at full size
c. Raise the Z-axis
d. Turn off the printer, wait for it to cool down (your hands will near the print head).
Wear thin gloves if necessary
e. Follow the directions: Unscrew 4 screws, attach the fan shroud, screw it on. The
whole process takes around 10 minutes, because the screws & hex nuts are tiny.
f. Note: there is a better fan shroud that goes all around the printer head, but it
requires you to buy longer M3 screws.