There’s a fair amount of tuning involved in getting a MakerBot running.  Once assembled there may be some plastruder, Skeinforge, replicatorG troubleshooting before you get your first print.  Once that’s done you’ll want to print up some upgrades and replacement parts, experimenting along the way.  I figure there’s two parallel tracks to tuning a MakerBot – the hardware and the software.

Hardware tuning

• Leveling the print platform
• Adjusting belt tension
• Adjusting plastruder idler wheel tension
• Adjusting the stepper motor potentiometers

Software tuning

• Skeinforge settings
• ReplicatorG settings

1. The Lost Blog Posts
2. Plastruder! [Draft 12/25/2009]
3. UNTITLED [Draft 12/25/2009]
4. Preparing to print [Draft 12/27/2009]
5. More prints [Draft 01/04/2010]
6. Prototype Pricing [Draft 01/19/2010]
7. MakerBot tuning [Draft 01/20/2010]
8. Plastic Screw Anchor [Draft 02/02/2010]
9. Magic [Draft 02/03/2010]
10. How are you printing with PLA? [Draft 02/16/2010]
11. Rebuilding my extruder [Draft 02/16/2010]
12. MY robot [Draft 02/18/2010]
13. more things i learned [Draft 02/20/2010]
14. First commissioned piece! [Draft 02/22/2010]
15. MakerBot: Toy or Tool? [02/25/2010]
16. Idea for Skeinforge settings… [Draft 03/27/2010]
17. RepRap and MakerBot alternatives [Draft 04/05/2010]
18. RepRap Parts for Sale [Draft 04/07/2010]