I know that an update is in the works for auto-calibration, but in the meantime, can someone please post a procedure for leveling the bed using the cryptic numbers numbers displayed by firmware 6.6.6 - which screws to turn which way depending on these numbers?
Thanks,
Julia
Julia… Just a question…can you move the axis by hand with printer off? If yes, you could do the calibration like on the UP “manually”
[quote name=Andre]Julia… Just a question…can you move the axis by hand with printer off? If yes, you could do the calibration like on the UP “manually”
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I suppose… I just wondered if there is a more elegant “official” way recommended by the Zortrax team.
Since the latest firmware isn’t official they probably haven’t thought about writing a procedure. The way I’ve done it though is by raising or lowing the sides based on the numbers shown after doing calibration. The “down” is front and “up” is rear. And a negative number means the bed is too high in that location.
Since there are 4 corners but only 3 screws it gets a little complicated, but if you lower one rear corner, it will raise the opposite front corner. One problem I have is that the left rear AND right front are slightly low so I can’t raise both without messing up other points… So I just try to get as close to 0 as possible but as Zortrax said that is impossible. If you are within .7 it should be pretty close.
If you have any more specific questions about it feel free to ask! 
This is my Un-Official method.
Level the machine
Level the Build Platform
I purchased a Bullseye Bubble Level to do this because it gives you both axes at once.
I purchased this one http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-9815-09815-BullsEye-Level/dp/B000FGESN4/ref=sr_1_3/179-6556188-2541545?ie=UTF8&qid=1389806556&sr=8-3&keywords=bullseye+level
As it can span the Y Axis rails quite easily.
Level the machine. Move the print head all the way forward on the Y Axis, and across to the middle position on the X Axis, look down between the two Y Axis rails they should line up over the Build Platform Center Silver Square. Place the Bubble level on the rails directly above the Build Platform Center Silver Square. Now shim the entire machine to get the Bubble in the Bullseye Bubble Level into the center position. The machine is level.
Level Build Platform. Take the Bullseye Bubble Level, put it in the center of the Build Platform on the Silver Square. Adjust the thumb screws to get the Bubble in the Bullseye Bubble Level into the center position. The Build Platform is level.
This procedure gave me a more uniform raft, solved my edge curl issues and stopped the extruder nozzle from gouging the build platform. It’s a simple, but critical step, I hope this helps.
That way is probably easier than the way I did it.
[quote name=Geisterfahrer]This is my Un-Official method.
Level the machine
Level the Build Platform
I purchased a Bullseye Bubble Level to do this because it gives you both axes at once.
I purchased this one http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-9815-09815-BullsEye-Level/dp/B000FGESN4/ref=sr_1_3/179-6556188-2541545?ie=UTF8&qid=1389806556&sr=8-3&keywords=bullseye+level
As it can span the Y Axis rails quite easily.
Level the machine. Move the print head all the way forward on the Y Axis, and across to the middle position on the X Axis, look down between the two Y Axis rails they should line up over the Build Platform Center Silver Square. Place the Bubble level on the rails directly above the Build Platform Center Silver Square. Now shim the entire machine to get the Bubble in the Bullseye Bubble Level into the center position. The machine is level.
Level Build Platform. Take the Bullseye Bubble Level, put it in the center of the Build Platform on the Silver Square. Adjust the thumb screws to get the Bubble in the Bullseye Bubble Level into the center position. The Build Platform is level.
This procedure gave me a more uniform raft, solved my edge curl issues and stopped the extruder nozzle from gouging the build platform. It’s a simple, but critical step, I hope this helps.
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Brilliant, thanks! I am printing.
julia
very nice and clear ! Thank you very much ! 
I used this App on my iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ihandy-carpenter/id293621500?mt=8
It’s nicer than a physical bubble level because it gives you numeric output; you don’t have to shim the printer to level, you can just set the bed to the same numbers as the machine.
just downloaded it ! thanks Julia !
Bullseye leveling plays a negligible role, the printer could print on its side.
What matters is of course the leveling of the bed in relation to the nozzle.
2 tricks:
• the bed’s leveling screws only work when they are tension free, to relieve them press the bed again the plate
• you can’t level the bed if some screws are at their minimum or maximum, start with all screws/springs at medium
For info : Martin told me I should screw the knobs at their maximum, then place the platform, than level it.
And honestly, that worked great. I got almost everything around 0.2-0.4. Happy.
What?
"Bullseye leveling plays a negligible role, the printer could print on its side.
What matters is of course the leveling of the bed in relation to the nozzle."
:rolleyes:
It could be a Bullseye or a regular level, the bullseye just measures both axes at once.
The point of the exercise is that the printhead is attached to the X & Y Axis rails, which are attached to the body of the machine, So If the Machine is not level then it is pointless trying to level the bed because it will always be out of level with the printhead.
Hence the soon to be implimented 5 point calibration, which will level the bed for you (within a tolerance) by building up a more accurate and level raft to compensate for the out of level bed.
They are not tricks. They are common sense.
That’s nonsense. The machine’s level has zero impact on the bed’s level as long as the bed stays on the platform. Again it could print on its side. Leveling the machine and the bed does only that, it doesn’t level the bed in relation to the nozzle which is the only thing that matters. Axis, platform and bed aren’t perfectly flat or level. If they were leveling could be done during assembly and printers wouldn’t have beds with springs !
If they were common sense we wouldn’t need to use them, but the printer comes with screws in minimum position and unlike on other printers they don’t tighten/loosen the springs when you turn them.
corngolem is correct in that the absolute level of the machine is unimportant; what is important is that the bed be “trammed” (better term) to the extruder. If all you have is a physical bubble level and you’re using the “put the level on the rails then on the bed” trick, you have to go for absolute level on both. With the iPhone level you get numbers, so you just make the bed match whatever angles the rails are at and don’t worry about absolute level of the machine. But in my experience the “match the bed to the rails” only got me approximately trammed - I used the calibration numbers to get the rest of the way. I have not found, however, that I need to push down the bed in order to turn the screws.
Do you also have the same as me : when you turn the knob, the axis doesn’t come with it, right ?
As always have to push on the bed to lower the whole “screw thing”, then turn the knob.
[quote name=pilou74]Do you also have the same as me : when you turn the knob, the axis doesn’t come with it, right ?
As always have to push on the bed to lower the whole “screw thing”, then turn the knob.
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That’s what corngolem is saying, Pilou, but me, I just turned the screws without pushing the bed down and it worked. Maybe it would have been easier if I’d pushed the bed down, but it’s working now so I’m not touching it!
[quote name=Julia Truchsess][quote=pilou74]Do you also have the same as me : when you turn the knob, the axis doesn’t come with it, right ?
As always have to push on the bed to lower the whole “screw thing”, then turn the knob.
[/quote]
That’s what corngolem is saying, Pilou, but me, I just turned the screws without pushing the bed down and it worked. Maybe it would have been easier if I’d pushed the bed down, but it’s working now so I’m not touching it!
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I had to use a little Loctite to keep mine from spinning.
Kyle, where did you apply the loctite exactly ?
In this case it is not ‘Nonsense’ and it is ‘Important’ and the goal IS the leveling of the bed in relation to the nozzle.
If i had, had an iPhone I would have used the Tramming method too, But i used a bubble level.
It was necessary to level the machine and therefore the print head to then be able to level the print bed in relation to the now level print head, there needs to be a datum, how else could it be done?
The iPhone has the technology to get it done without the extra step.
i could have used the paper method or a DTI or an iPhone, but i used a bubble level, and for this method leveling the machine is necessary and valid.
This is a way too heated debate out in the machining communities on the web. But as they keep proving to themselves, there is more than one way to skin a cat.
Pretty soon it will be a moot point here, as soon as we get the calibration upgrade.
I guess I am from the camp that likes things level.
