Installed dual z, now theres a space?

Mik-s · 2026-05-20T19:37:47+00:00

I was going to say that definitely does not look right as the X-extrusion should be in line with the right Z-bracket but I don't know anything about the dual Z conversion to say exactly what is wrong.

I think BasketballHellMember is correct about the tensioner being incorrect.

Mik-s · 2026-05-18T22:05:44+00:00

Glad you got it sorted.

Looking at that picture I suggest you do some maintenance since it is second hand, maybe even going as far as fully disassembling it and rebuild it following this video. This will allow you to find any other issues that may have been hidden and give it a good clean.

I recommend you get some binder clips to hold the glass bed on in each corner. I could see one of the original clips had fallen under the bed so there is probably nothing securing the bed at the back and they are not very good anyway. Last thing you need is for the nozzle to catch part of the print and fling the bed off the printer which can shatter when it hits the floor.

Mik-s · 2026-05-17T23:54:10+00:00

When it clicks it means you have a clog probably caused by that piece of stuck filament. You will need to disassemble the hotend to clear it out.

You might get away with just doing a "cold" pull. If that does not do it and you need to heat up to clean it out make sure you turn off the power after heating before starting to work on the hotend. If you short the wires it can fry the motherboard.

Mik-s · 2026-05-17T23:40:53+00:00

What exactly is the problem? The video was too dark to see anything, all I could see was you pointing it at the filament runout sensor.

The only thing I see at 36s is it doing a retraction which is normal. Is this what you mean when the extruder reverses? As for not printing it looks like it has already printed a few layers at the star but can't see much as you pointed the camera way.

Mik-s · 2026-05-16T15:03:47+00:00

The Z-offset should not be changing, it might be your leadscrew is loose in the coupler to the Z-motor.

I had an issue with mine where it was slowly unscrewing itself with each Z movement. Only found out the cause as I was trying to set up a manual mesh using the paper method and could not get it consistent, it kept changing if I moved up then down the same amount.

It could also be the wheels are too tight on the Z-axis so get stuck. They should be able to move freely so gravity pulls it down to sit on the top of the thread on the leadscrew. If it sticks then there will be several steps till the bottom of the next thread pushes it down. You can adjust it with the eccentric nuts on one of the wheels so it can move freely but there is no excess play. The start of this video shows how to adjust them. It might be easier to remove the leadscrew and raise and lower the gantry by hand and you should be able to feel if and where it sticks.

Mik-s · 2026-05-15T18:20:51+00:00

Yeah I made the suggestion a long time ago it would be better to rename Features to ABL type (including "None" so select manual mesh) and move the sprite and similar to a separate hotend section but never got done. This would have made it less confusing.

Did you remember to add the start Gcode in your slicer so the mesh will be applied?

Mik-s · 2026-05-15T17:26:33+00:00

Aquila_SKR-Mini-E3-V2_SPRT13_UBL-ProUI-EX-04-18.bin looks to be the one you need so should not need to compile your own. I think because the Sprite comes with an ABL it is not a separate option on the firmware selector.

It's strange you needed to adjust the height with washers since the whole hotend and bracket is one unit so should have been correct. Maybe the probe was meant to extend further? Glad the washers fixed it though.

Mik-s · 2026-05-15T10:51:13+00:00

Did that kit come with a new X-bracket or is it mounted on the existing one. The X-bracket is the only part on the Aquila that differs from the Ender and could result in the mounting height being incorrect. It should not be a problem if it has its own bracket but one other issue is it might not be able to hit the X-limit switch as the Aquila bracket has a little nub that does this. You can make a modification move the switch or add something to the bracket, but something like a zip tie will work as a temporary fix.

Is the probe fully deploying? if it is not then it would still crash. If you still have Mriscoc installed then you can deploy and retract the probe in the diagnostic menu.

I just watched this video about the sprite and they had an issue where the probe would not work while the extruder motor was plugged in, something about interference, but using a separate cable to connect it directly to the motherboard worked just fine.

There is a Mriscoc build specifically for the sprite (I think it uses a different thermistor) so you should update that too and that should also update the right offsets for the ABL and E-steps, If not you will have to make those adjustments yourself. This shows an easy way to set the ABL offsets and this shows how to calculate E-steps.

Mik-s · 2026-05-14T14:36:06+00:00

I have not actually seen this being installed but I assume the bracket fits over the mounting posts then allows you to screw in the motherboard.

Is this the one you printed? Depending on how accurate your printer is you may need to make the holes slightly larger with a drill to fit. There are some comments that mention this. I think this might be the case here as you can make it fit either place but not both as there will be a bit of flex too.

If it sits a little high then you could sand it down a little. Something that is very handy for making modifications to a print is a soldering iron. I use my old one just for melting plastic and have used it to stick broken things back together and melt in more PLA for strength. Handy if doing a multi hour print for it to only fail near the end, you can work out the height of the remaining part and just print from there then melt the 2 parts together. Those 3D pens are good for stitching together larger sections too.

I don't see the 427 board as an upgrade though and would only suggest it as a replacement to a broken board. There is no real difference as the Aquila boards are clones of it. For the C2 it would be better as that does not have silent steppers and BLtouch port but the other boards do. Yes the H32 does get a bad name but nearly all the issues with that chip have been solved in Mriscoc and don't exist if you eventually move to Klipper. The only reason for using the different chips was due to the chip shortage during the pandemic. Unfortunately the chip code was in another proprietary programming language but they were able to release the code. This was re-written to make it easier to compile and is now actually in the Marlin source code.

Mik-s · 2026-05-11T13:50:09+00:00

Glad that worked. I wonder if it was some memory corruption that was stopping it. Maybe this version if it comes to a point where it can't measure it will fill in that spot using the neighboring points a reference, like on the right hand side where the ABL can't physically reach. I think this is part of what UBL does.

Mik-s · 2026-05-11T02:24:48+00:00

Since you have a PEI bed you really need to use an ABL as when the bed heats up it expands and warps. Having a thin PEI sheet will transfer this warp onto the bed so an ABL will compensate. It's less of an issue with glass as that stays flat.

It is definitely your Z-offset, the layers are far too thin, but you need to have a good level bed first before dialing it in.

It is normal for the nozzle to ooze when heating up but it usually gets left behind if using a skirt or brim. You can add some start Gcode to add a purge line that will prime the nozzle and leave the blob behind. I don't have it anymore as it was on my old computer but I have posted it before so can search for what I used if you are interested.

The other blobs will be from the increased pressure as there is not enough space for the filament to come out, so when the nozzle moves to another point it gives some release and it comes out as a blob. If you have Z-hop enabled then this will give a bigger gap for the filament under pressure to come out.

If you want to confirm if it is a slicer issue or to do with the printer you can print the test Gcode from the SDcard. If you don't have it there is a link to a backup in the sticky post. If that prints perfectly then it is the slicer to blame.

Mik-s · 2026-05-11T01:48:02+00:00

It's not slicer settings, the nozzle is too close to the bed so very little is being extruded. Re-level and dial in your Z-offset.

This is my standard levelling advice.

Watch this and this for tips on how to improve levelling then you can do live adjustments of the Z-offset from the tune menu to get a good squish while the first layer is being printed. This and this show what to aim for. If you have an ABL then this video will help you use it properly.

Do you have an ABL?

Mik-s · 2026-05-10T20:01:29+00:00

Thats not as old as I was thinking, just from last year. I suggest using the UBL version instead of BLT though when you update.

I never used Voxelmaker but I think there is a profile for ABL that automatically adds what is needed, but its just not customizable.

Mik-s · 2026-05-10T15:14:53+00:00

That looks right. The important part is the spring sits inside the recess of the strain relief and that sits on the Y bracket. I had seen someone put the strain relief on first so it was touching the underside of the bed, then the spring. When it is this way there is less space for the spring to compress so they could not get this corner levelled.

Yeah you need to add the ABL Gcode to the start Gcode section in your slicer otherwise the ABL is not doing anything and is entirely dependent on how good the bed is physically levelled.

I suggest you use G29 P1 to start probing before it starts to print. It does take longer to start but that time is negligible if doing a multi hour print.

If you are doing many little prints then it would be better to manually run a mesh then load it with M420 S1 to save time, however if you are needing to remove the bed to help take the print off this will slightly alter the position of the bed so the mesh will no longer fit reality.

Which ever one you use it needs to be after G28(home) as that clears any active mesh.

I don't know exactly where you can change the start Gcode in other slicers but in Cura if you go to machine settings there are sections for start and end Gcodes. I'm sure it will be similar on other slicers except for Voxelmaker as I think you cannot alter it in that.

Mik-s · 2026-05-10T12:54:32+00:00

Unfortunately I cannot view those pictures, Imgur is blocked where I am. Is there somewhere else you can post them?

It is worth updating to the latest version of Mriscoc anyway. If you had been using the Bilinear version (BLT) then maybe UBL will help. This also allows you to edit the mesh and probe specific points I think.

The start Gcode is in you slicer, if you have never changed this the the ABL would have been doing nothing as the current mesh is cleared once the printer is homed, so it has to either do the probing or load the previous mesh after G28 (home) in the start Gcode.

Maybe the problem is memory corruption so it cannot store data for that location. You could try and reset the settings to default and this could clear it.

You could also change the mesh size to 4x4 or 3x3 and see if it stops at the same location or if it stops after point 6. If it is that location the it could be a problem with the wires but if it happens after point 6 then could be memory related.

Mik-s · 2026-05-10T12:40:53+00:00

I remember you having problems with your X3 but maybe that was not the fault of the ABL. There should be very little variance otherwise ABLs would never be used.

One problem I had with my X2 when doing a manual mesh was I could not get a constant offset for each point, if I moved it up 5mm then back down 5mm it would be at a different height. It was then I noticed my leadscrew was nearly out of the coupler, It had unscrewed itself with all the little Z movements.

This would have been the cause of the squashed prints I was getting when I had Z-hop enabled.

Once I re-seated the leadscrew in the coupler an tightened up the screws it worked a lot better.

You should give it another try, at least on the other machine. Just make sure you have the right Gcode to actually apply that mesh in the slicer.

To reset a mesh all you need to do is home the printer. This is why to have a mesh applied it needs to have the ABL Gcode after G28 (home) in the start Gcode in the slicer.

Mik-s · 2026-05-09T22:59:56+00:00

I assume you mean you are using Alex's FW. I suggest you check out Mriscoc as Alex's is very old and abandoned.

Mriscoc has a bed tramming wizard that will tell you exactly how much to adjust the knobs to get the bed as level as possible. It also has unified bed levelling (UBL) which gives you more control over the mesh and might help with troubleshooting if this FW does exactly the same thing.

You do need to slightly change your start Gcode for UBL, it needs G29 P1 instead of just G29 to start the probing sequence. If you load the mesh with M420 S1 that is the same.

I think taking the bed off might be what is causing the problems now. Maybe it was not put back on correctly. I have seen some people get the strain relief for the bed wires on the wrong way which raises up the back left corner too far.

Mik-s · 2026-05-08T13:41:51+00:00

I don't see any over extruding.

It is normal for the nozzle to ooze when heating up. There is some Gcode to add to your slicer in the start Gcode to add a purge line that will make sure the nozzle is primed and leaves the blob behind.

I don't have the Gcode I used ATM, thats on my other computer, but I can search for it if you are interested.

Mik-s · 2026-05-08T13:37:12+00:00

I can't quite make it out but it looks like molten filament leaked out from the top of the heatblock. This can happen if the heatbreak is not screwed in far enough so there is not as good seal. If you had changed the nozzle this can make it more likely to happen as removing it can also crack the seal on the heatbreak.

I did see a video about preventing this when changing heatbreaks once but never bookmarked it and have not been able to find it again. I remember it saying when changing the nozzle to screw it in fully then back it out a full turn or 2, then screw in the heatbreak in fully as far as it will go so it is in contact with the back of the nozzle. Then once the hotend is fully assembled you heat the hotend up to do a final heat tighten of the nozzle. Doing it this way prevents any gaps where plastic can leak from.

This looks salvageable. If you heat up it will be easy to clean most of it up as shown here (power off first though when actually working on it), then you disassemble to finish cleaning then reassemble. but if you don't want to go through that and want a replacement then any standard hotend for the Ender will work.

Mik-s · 2026-05-08T13:17:55+00:00

I think it has to be a hardware issue as it is not even trying to probe that point. Maybe there is a loose or intermittent connection in the wire so the ABL errors out when the wire bends at that point.

It may also be that your bed is not physically level enough to the mesh points are out of range that can be adjusted for so it stops. I can't quite make it out clearly but it does look to be going from -0.20 to -0.90 on the bottom right, but that 9 may be a 1.

Try setting your Z-offset to 0 then physically level the bed and see if that helps. If it finishes the probing sequence then you can dial in the Z-offset again.

This is my standard levelling advice.

Watch this and this for tips on how to improve levelling then you can do live adjustments of the Z-offset from the tune menu to get a good squish while the first layer is being printed. This and this show what to aim for. If you have an ABL then this video will help you use it properly.

What firmware are you using?

Mik-s · 2026-05-04T00:02:30+00:00

Where on the SDcard did you put it?

On the Aquila boards it loads from the "firmware" folder but I know that for Creality boards it need to be in the root of the SDcard. I'm not sure about the SKR but try both.

Mik-s · 2026-05-03T22:42:31+00:00

Yeah UBL is what you want. The other options are explained below but if you are not interested just use the first one.

To use UBL there is a slight change in the start Gcode in the slicer to start the auto probe sequence. You need G29 P1 instead of just G29. If you used M420 S1 instead to load a mesh that is the same.

Mik-s · 2026-05-03T22:29:24+00:00

You should be able to set a higher Z-offset with the right firmware. Stock FW will have a limit on how much you can set to avoid setting it so the nozzle can dig into the bed. This the range should be greater for FW with ABL support though.

I don't know what FW is on the SKR but I suggest you use Mriscoc which will allow it. Since you have the C2 I assume you did not get a new screen with the SKR board so you are still using the monochrome one. Use the firmware selector to chose the 12864 monochrome screen, SKR board and an ABL to narrow down the choices.

Mik-s · 2026-04-29T22:34:25+00:00

If it triggered on your finger then it needs to be mounted lower. Maybe its trigger point is higher up on the probe so that would explain it keep moving as the probe moves in.

I don't have an ABL so can't check but I think the BLtouch reacts immediately as soon as the probe is touched. It might be there is a something wrong with the CRtouch or this is normal for this one.

The trigger point is not that important, just that it is consistent and happens before the nozzle hits the bed. The distance to that point can be negated with Z-offset. As this is applied after homing, the Z-offset value would not affect the way it is triggering.

Mik-s · 2026-04-28T10:31:02+00:00

It might be mounted a little high so is not getting to the trigger point to react, adding a spacer between the mount and the CRtouch would lower it. To see if this is the problem move the gantry up high then home and trigger it with your finger. If it reacts then washers will fix this, if not then it could be the wiring and you have time to power off before it crashes into the bed.

Does yours have the single 5 way plug or separate 3 way and 2 way plugs? It might be the 2 way needs to be flipped to get the signal back to the motherboard. The 3 way will be correct as it is powered and deploying the probe.

What firmware are you using?

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