@MooseJuice thanks for confirming its ‘normal’.
Dot matrix printer is exactly how me and the wife describe the noise while printing too, lol
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Should I set the M425 backlash before doing calibration?
(and thanks @xhycode whomever you are! M425 save parameter by xhycode · Pull Request #126 · Snapmaker/Snapmaker2-Controller (github.com))
I do, I have a macro in Luban for that. Glad to see in the future that macro won’t be needed and it will automatically be applied from the EEPROM at startup.
thanks, yeah i am planning to add this to my prusa profiles. i like the idea of using the macros in Luban (why i have been cutting and pasting each command from a document, lol, doh)
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Another question.
Given the earliest XY linear rails shipped with 8mm lead gap in the screws and newer ones with 20mm lead gap in the screws i assume this means backlash could be different for different for different customers too? or can the backlash be the same despite the change?
this is just an academic question as when measured with the dial meter I got X0.04, Y-0.01 Z0.06 as needed compensation.
Sure, backlash depends on more than just the pitch of the leadscrew
I’m not sure negative backlash exists. That sounds like a measurement error on Y.
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quite possibly, this is all new to me - all i can say is it appeared to make a difference to the dial meter reporting (like change back to 0 change to -0.01 and do multiple measurements between the changes). Not saying it would make any difference to printing 
tl;dr i don’t discount a systematic bias on my part - once the machine is back together i will repeat the test.
Well, regardless, I’d round that to 0, The minimum motion I recall being able to achieve on the machine was in the ballpark of 0.015mm, so a .01mm backlash is way finer than the accuracy required for anything this machine would be doing. 3/10,000ths of an inch is in the ballpark of temperature fluctuation and requires special care to measure precisely. A micrometer or test indicator in tenths would be a better tool for measuring that, I would think.
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guess i shouldn’t have got a dial meter that claims this 
its very noisy in terms of fluctuation (amusing to note how my movements affected it), oh well its the one i have.
Measure Range: 0-1"/25.4mm; Graduation: 0.00005"/0.001 mm; Accuracy: ±0.0002"/0.005 mm
That indicator will do just fine. Ignore the last digit. With digital indicators, as with calipers and DROs, there is a tendency for the user to add significance to the last digit when it may in fact be random 
Something that you might know about for indicators is preload: set up the indicator so that the tip has moved about about 1/4 of its permitted travel (not critical, could be as low as 10% or as high as 75%), and zero the indicator. This will eliminate a lot of false readings. Indicators are unreliable at their extremes of travel.
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Not something i knew until i started testing, yes the first few times i had issue, then i figured out to do what you said this has been a fun learning exercise. With this model it was interesting to see i could measure the flex in the thin 3m sticker i used to stick it to the plates (it would measure then the last digit would slowly drift as the sticker glue was shifting under such gentle pressure like 0.001 of a mm every couple of seconds for about 0.010 total travel. I eventually found much better way using variety of magnets and other things to prevent slippage or flex even at rest. But still have much to do to improve my techniques.
Yay, it should be. My thoughts as well, always fun to learn new skills.
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I dunno, I was kinda up to my eyeball in new skills to learn when I got this thing
I have to admit, it is more interesting as an engineering/mechanix project than it is fun or useful as a print-producer. Was reading some old books on jigs & fixtures a month back, started thinking how those could be applied towards some of the print-head maintenance/calibration tasks to speed things up. And that got me thinking about those QCTP mounts for the toolheads, and what is really missing on the X-axis carriage is a lower register for the print head to reference against, and it would be a simple matter to make an adapter which … it never ends.
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Mine was only ever intended to be interesting plaything to learn about 3d printing. I have learnt way more about mechanical things than I wanted to. I had foolishly hoped this would be ‘apple like’ plug and play compared to something like an ender where i perceived lots of mechanical messing about. Live and learn .
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Man, I hear ya. If I had known, I would have either got a cheap CR-10 for the build envelope or plonked down the extra $$ for a dremel or a lulzbot to get an out-of-the-box printer.
Well, let’s hope the CAN bus lives up to the promise. I tried the laser and was pleasantly surprised. Haven’t given CNC a go yet, as that requires a vacuum rig for the enclosure.
Not really. Been doing pretty heavy cnc now for a year and just use my shopvac every so often. I did get a cheap cyclone adapter with a bucket that I have inline that keeps it from filling up the bag and clogging my filters.
-S
Yeah? Do you have to clean the hell out of the thing before doing 3D prints? I was figuring the dust would just get everywhere.
My plan isn’t complicated or expensive. Next run into town I’ll get one of those buckethead vacuums from the box store, stick it on a paint bucket, run a hose to a fitting in the wall of the enclosure. Still have to print the fitting (Y-axis modules died tonight! argh! then came back after I took the machine apart! yay?) and drill a hole in a wall for it.
The dust kind of sticks to everything, but I don’t think having a vacuum attachment will stop that - just reduce it.
When I’m done I vacuum off everything - rails, cables, base, controller. Then I just wipe everything down with a microfiber cloth. Occasionally I’ll use some Endust spray that’s specially for electronics so it doesn’t leave any residue. Swiffer dusters work well too.
-S
I personally do feel that it helps significantly. However, it does depend on the type of wood you’re cutting and the size of chips (or dust) you’re creating. If you have an enclosure it’s probably not that much of an issue, but as I don’t have an enclosure I do need the vacuum.
It mainly prevents the small dust from being airborne and thus not covering the entire room. Again, if it’s in an enclosure anyway, less of an issue.
Has anyone measured backlash on the new rails?