To test the printer for the first time without GCODE and software I 3D printed two parts (A printhead mounting bracket and an encoder mounting bracket) for mounting the printhead and encoder to a cheap 3D printer.
To test it I entered HACKADAY.IO on the CIJ printer display and powered the printer controller what also powered the MOSFET board and triggered the product detect.
Then I moved the printhead by hand to print the message and that's it. The first printed message.
I also tried printing on my hand :)
The ink that I used is (as far as I know) acetone based and could be cleaned off by soap with some effort or immediately with the make up fluid.
Discussions
Become a Hackaday.io Member
Create an account to leave a comment. Already have an account? Log In.
It sounds like you could use the generated EMF from a (disconnected) stepper coil for the _encoder_ signal. Then you could push the head across the page by hand and get text metered out exactly along that axis. If I'm understanding what _encoder_ does. Dunno what use it would have.
Are you sure? yes | no
For placing the ink dropplets at the right position the printer needs an encoder signal - it could also use a fixed feedrate but I thought the encoder signal would be much more practical, because it would work at every feedrate.
The encoder signal is a pulsed signal created by a rotary encoder that you can see on the second picture. The one that I use sends 600 pulses per revolution.
Are you sure? yes | no