SeeMeCNC Rostock MAX v2 User Manual page 100

#6 Watch What's Happening.
Especially in the early stages of learning, watch all aspects of the printer. Combined with
strategy #5 you'll start to develop an appreciation for how the slicer does its magic, how the printer
does its magic, and it is just simply fun to watch (especially a delta printer)! I highly recommend
putting a flag of some type on your extruder so you can actually watch retracts and advances and watch
the steady push of the filament. A piece of masking tape stuck to the shaft is fine or print one of the
pointer models. Watch that first layer print, that's how you'll see if there is a problem and maybe even
figure out why. For example, I noticed that the first layer wasn't sticking in the same spot on my build
plate. Turns out that I had some potato chip grease there (don't ask)! A little wipe with Isopropyl
alcohol and I was back in business. Watch what happens when the layer fan comes on. Is it coming on
too early and causing the part to peal from the print surface? Pay attention to the details of what's going
on and then...
#7 Keep Notes.
I can't stress how important it is to keep notes. I have a word processor file I add notes to as I
go. In particular, I keep a section on the filaments I use and the detailed printing parameters for them
(strategy #9). Perhaps I'm becoming forgetful in my advanced age but I don't like solving the same
problem over and over again. If I keep a note about a problem and my solution, I can usually find it
again pretty quickly. Once comment on notes, don't be afraid to purge! After a few years of doing this,
my file got quite big.
Recently I archived all of my H1 and H1-1 notes. I don't refer to them any longer so why keep
them in my working notes?
#8 Be Consistent.
A CEO friend I worked with many years ago was fond of saying "Consistency is the hobgoblin
of small minds!". I understood what he was trying to say but it has to be taken into context. When you
are first learning any new activity, it is critical to be consistent. If too many things are changing at once,
you have no idea what contributed to a good or bad result. Don't change too many things at once. In
fact, if you can isolate and change just ONE thing, you will have a much better chance of success and
understanding. This isn't always possible so lock down as many things as you can. If after a run of
successful printing you run into a problem, go back to a known good state (see #7 – you did keep notes
on what this state was didn't you?) and start there. Many times we try to change too many things in our
frustration and that almost always makes things worse. Step back and think about how to isolate the
problem areas with as few changes as possible.
Rostock MAX v2 User's Guide
12 – A Strategy for Successful (and great!) Prints - 100