noob struggling to get started

[clubmaker]

I've just finished building a HICTOP Ender Mini 3D and I'm really struggling to get the thing running, in fact I'm lost as to where to start. The build instructions were a nightmare and were no help at all. I don't even know how to load a model into Cura and make it print'
I need help please.

[iDig3Dprinting]

We can't comment on the HICTOP Ender Mini 3D, we don't know the machine.

Where abouts are you in the process? Does your pc recognise the printer and can you manually from cura heat up the hotend and move the print dead / print bed about?

[clubmaker]

I've managed to get the thing moving in all three axis, heating up the nozzle and attempting to print a test sample.
There'a no instructions in the box just a video with terrible grammar, a lot of intuition is needed in the build, I think I am starting to understand this printing jargon a wee bit now and we'll see.
Thanks for the reply and I'll post when I make something with it, cheers.

[iDig3Dprinting]

OK.
Well just incase here is ultimakers (the builders of Cura) quick guide. https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/33422-get ... uick-guide
You will need to select custom probably for the selection of the printer

[clubmaker]

I have been trying to print a simple cube in cura, the cube doesn't seem to save on the sd card it's the 8gb that came with the printer so nothing happens, the card has been formatted for Fat 32, any ideas? Cura can't seem to print direct from my PC either?

[clubmaker]

When printing the test cube the base layer appears to go down okay then the printer moves one cube size to the side then stars to print again, this ends up as a rough lumpy mess with it printing over the first layer and I then have to abort the print, I can't seem to stop it doing this.
Any ideas why it does this?

[iDig3Dprinting]

Perhaps you could show us a picture of your print failure.

Why can't you connect your pc to the printer? do you know what sort of error you get?

[clubmaker]

My problems are really my ignorance of 3d printing in general and buying a printer with no user instructions at all. My knowledge on 3d printing comes from Youtub video's.
So far I have worked out how to load a working Gcode using Ideamaker, a simple cube, this prints the bottom layer or two okay then the x and y carriage seems to bounce and rumble on the now lumpy print surface. I think I have too much of a gap at the nozzle and the temperature is too high making the plastic flow too much and get squidgy, thus causing the bumps. I have worked out how the bed leveller works and this is helping, I'll yty a single sheet of A4 paper, turn the temperature down and speed then see how I get on with this.
Understanding the jargon used in the 3d printing world is a whole new ball game.

[clubmaker]

What see is happening is the Z axis is not moving upwards and this is causing the rough layer and the rumbling, have I maybe moved some setting in the control box? I am getting fed up with it only printing base layer then it goes to pot. I have the auto bed levelling working fine, I am using a sheet of A4 folded in half as the printing gap.

[clubmaker]

I have just discovered that my Z axis is not moving up in manual test, the X and Y are moving all the way in the manual test, is it a bad connection possibly? I'll leave for tonight.