This is not only an essential tool for every owner of a 3D printer, but also the only way to calibrate your 3D printer.
You may used calibration cubes before to calculate your e-steps, but this is completely wrong in so many ways. E-steps are steps per millimetre and not steps per slicer settings combine with a filament brand and type.
So let me show you how to calibrate your printer the right way and without breaking your fingers.
Requirements:
- 3D Printer to calibrate and print this thing
- Calipers
- Some Filament
- Binding clamps (like normally used for mounting the print bed, but this time some big ones.)
- M5 screws and nuts for 2020 mount (optional)
Assembly:
Once printed mount the triangular shape onto the caliper arm. The calipers needs to be open to fit. Next is to slide the caliper base mount over your calipers. The result should look like the image shown. Make sure everything is nice and tight. You can add some foam to make the caliper mount more sturdy.
How to Use:
Use the binder clips to fixate the assembly onto your build plate. Expand the calipers to a maximum of your choice, use the printers menu controls to move and bump the print head into the front bumper of the calipers. Turn on and reset the calipers. Move the print head at least 50mm towards the axis you are measuring and watch the magic.
Here is a video showing the process in action: 3D Printer XYZE-Step Calibration done right! - YouTube
We use the y axis in this example, but it works the same with all axis.
Assuming you used 50mm, this is the fixed distance (fd=50). The calipers showed e.g. 49,4, then this is the current distance (cd=49.4). To get the currently used e-steps you need a terminal like Pronterface or the one in OctoPrint. Issue an “M92” command and it will prompt the current e-steps for all axis. Make sure you pick the right one for the axis you just measured. Lets assume the value shown is Y40.2. That is our current e-step value (ce=40.2)
To calculated the new e-step value (ne) just use this formula:
ne = ce * fd / cd
40.69 = 40.2 * 50 / 49.4
Now we need to set the new value using the M92 command again like this. Warning: You need to use a dot, so it is “40.69” and not “40,69”.
M92 Y40.69
This should result in an OK. You can issue the M92 command once again and check if the value got stored.
To save the setting to the eeprom use the M500 command.
The beauty of this tool and its setup is that you can repeat the steps above to check the movement again. On the second run the calipers should now show exactly 50mm.
I added several holes at the base, so you can mount the tool onto a 2020 beam for vertical use and calibrating the z axis e-steps. You can also mount the tool onto the print head or the printers bridge.
Just remember you only need a place where you can mount the tool and can bump into something to measure the movement. So it does not matter if the tool is mounted to the build plate like shown in the example picture. You can also mount it to the frame. The only thing you need to ensure is that a moving part of the axis to calibrate is able to hit the bumper of the calibration tool.
3DPrinter_EStepCalibrationTool.zip (615 KB)