Disclaimer
Work in progress, speak with someone familiar with printing before trying it yourself!
Pre print checklist
- Switch the machine off if it was still on. Due to a bug in the firmware, you should only print after rebooting the machine.
- Is there a notice on the machine saying it's not functional? If yes, contact an admin and don't continue to print.
- Are all the screws fixed? Is the extruder fixed?
- Are the three axis unobstructed?
- Is there material in the extruder?
- Was the gcode of the model checked for correctness using skeinforge?
- Is there someone who has allready printed on the Reprap at your side?
- Is the extruder fan connected?
Printing
- Convert your .stl or .gts model to gcode using skeinforge. Use s' skeinforge config or a modification thereof repdist.tar.gz. Have a look at Preparations for config modifications.
- Run your gcode through unix2dos.
- Copy your gcode onto an SD card.
- Insert card into RepRap.
- Power the RepRap on.
- Select “Print Object”, then press the right button.
- Select the object to print using up and down buttons, then press the right button to start printing.
- The extruder head will now begin to warm up.
- Some material will now “leak” from the extruder head.
- When at it's temperature, the RepRap will start to print the raft (if enabled in the config).
- Now the object will be printed on top of the raft.
- Wait for the object to finish. Observe the actions of the RepRap. If something unexpeted happens, power off the machine by pulling the plug!
- Congratulations, you have printed your first object.
Post print
- Power off the machine.
- Document your print in Preparations. Take pictures and upload them to Thingiverse or to the wiki. Upload your model files to thingiverse or the wiki.
- Weight your printed object and track your filament consumption
- Are all the screws still in place? Is the extruder ok? If not, put a sign on the machine that warns the next users about the problem and document it in the wiki.