Align Bed

thingiverse

I lost my base settings for my 3D printer. I needed a quick way to find the correct origin offset for my print bed. I created a SCAD app, to create different sized measuring blocks to align my printer. Steps to align. 1) Print a set of blocks 2) Measure from one block to nearst edge. 3) Measure from the opposite block to nearest edge. 4) subtract the two measurements and divide by 2. That number is the amount of change needed to correct the origin for your printer software. 5) Print blocks again, and recheck. Repeat if still a little off. Now do the other direction. Warning, you may have to do multiple passes. For me, my software and print bed are 90 degrees out of alignment. My origin is actually at the left rear of printer, but left front for the software. So when I was adjusting, I keep mixing up weather I was adjusting left-right alignment or front-back alignment. I have also included my parts list, that includes the model of micrometer that I used. But a standard tape measure with metric marking will work, but not quite as exact. Update note 2020-04-16: Found a second use for these blocks, leveling the bed. I was having a problem starting a new roll of PLA and everything was going wrong. My printer uses two stepper motors to raise the cross bar (z axis). One got jammed and out of square. Printing the 4 corner blocks at 75mm from center lines and then measured their height at tallest point. My micrometer has a plunge option to boot. Once done found the right side was 1mm lower then the left. So with the power still on, manually turned my right side motor 5 clicks (counter clockwise) to raise the cross bar on just the right side. Then printed 4 more corners and found bed was with-in 0.1mm left to right. The number of clicks will depend on your equipment. I guessed my system was 1 click = 0.2mm in height. I was close. If 5 click only raised it 0.5mm then I would turned in another 5 clicks. Since math showed 0.1mm = 1 click.