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After my 2nd print, I saw something on the heated bed I didn't expect - a blob of metal...

[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VW3K ... 091747.jpg[/img]

WTF? I'm not *that* sloppy with my soldering iron, where the heck did that come from? Is there metal in my ABS?

Then, I took a closer look at my hot end (stop snickering) - holy cow!
[img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uyB4 ... 091804.jpg[/img]

My first though was that I was actually melting the hot end itself. After closer inspection, it looks like the resistor leads were getting so hot, it was melting the solder I'd used in the wiring crimp, which had then run down and dripped onto the print. Also, pretty sure I should have mounted the shroud so it wasn't pinching the resistor wiring.

And THAT ladies and gentlemen, is why you NEVER, EVER solder the heating resistor wires.

g.

It looks like one of the resistor leads is shorted against the hotend heater block, that's never going to end well.

I soldered my first hotend wires, the solder doesn't usually melt per-se, it sort of evaporates, then at some inconvenient time mid print, the connection comes loose and your hotend cools down.

Good catch, Polygonhell - I did go back and re-bend the wires to not touch, as well as scraped away the few bits of solder left that had flowed over the RTV. The fan shroud also acts as an insulator, so I'm less worried about shorting out.

And that's why I never got to use the stock heating resistors... I shorted mine, blew them up and ended up switching to a 40w heater cartridge.

That's why the assembly manuals tell you NOT to solder the resistor connections. Now it makes sense.
Everyone does read the manual, right?

There's a manual?

Manuel, he works at SeeMeCNC?

Que?

Speaking of not soldering, where do you find those crimps that SeeMeCNC puts on their assembled hot ends?

JohnStack wrote:Speaking of not soldering, where do you find those crimps that SeeMeCNC puts on their assembled hot ends?

really any crimps will work, these are a quick search result... we use 16-14 non insulated butt connectors...

http://www.grainger.com/product/POWER-F ... &pbi=4X290

Guanu

JohnStack wrote:Speaking of not soldering, where do you find those crimps that SeeMeCNC puts on their assembled hot ends?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#crimp-on-wire- ... rs/=s8g5il
Item G?

yes eagle, http://www.mcmaster.com/#7227K33 would also be correct

Guanu

guanu wrote:yes eagle, http://www.mcmaster.com/#7227K33 would also be correct

Guanu

Thank you sir, just trying to give alternative companies to get the parts from.

Eaglezsoar wrote:That's why the assembly manuals tell you NOT to solder the resistor connections. Now it makes sense.
Everyone does read the manual, right?

I only ever read the manual if I can't figure out the pretty pictures.

So...I anticipate making a repost of this thread at some point in the distant future if I can ever get motivated enough to open the cardboard box my Rosktock is currently in and putting the darned thing together, lol

Manuals are only manufacturers reccomendations or at least that is how our customers see them.

You always know what's coming when the discussion starts with, "We figured out a new way to install that."

nitewatchman

That's the problem with me and printed stuff, I always check out the pictures and never get to the articles.

cweiss wrote:That's the problem with me and printed stuff, I always check out the pictures and never get to the articles.

I thought it was the only way to follow a manual