More test prints

After changing some settings in the gcode generator I'm using (Slic3r), the quality of prints is slightly better. There is still lots of room for improvement though. E.g. compare these prints to what Richrap or NumberSix is printing.

Calibration tests

The first print shown is a box used for calibration purposes. For a properly-calibrated machine, it should be exactly 20mm x 20mm. Measured with a calipers, the dimensions of my print vary between 19.5mm and 20mm at the top of the box - depending on where you measure. It might seem pedantic, but this still probably isn't good enough for some purposes.

The deviation might have something to do with the belt tension on the x-axis or y-axis - which is a source of ongoing frustration at the moment.

The print is slightly wider at the base (approx. 21mm), but I think this is due to the fact that I'm not using a heated-bed platform - so a certain degree of "warping" is expected. So I'm not too worried about that right now.

A printable lathe?

The second print (below) is a bevel gear for a printable mini-lathe - designed by Reprap community member Sublime.

It's fairly obvious that wisps of plastic are ended up where they shouldn't be. I have yet to look into the reason for this (it might have something to do with the "retraction" settings).