Cartographer Mounts (Bed Level And First Layer Fix) For Creality K1 Series

Struggling with inconsistent first layers, wavy patterns, gaps between lines, nozzle digging into the build plate or leveling related error codes? Been told to adjust your z offset? Looked at your bed mesh and tried to adjust the bed? Not getting anywhere? This page explains the missing piece of the puzzle, but first, a quick warning about touching Z offset, because it is often misunderstood and potentially dangerous:

Z offset is a single blanket offset of your bed mesh. This means if you print a first layer test and one side is too high and the other is too squished, adjusting your z offset is either going to lift the high part even higher, or oversquish the low part even more. You can NOT fix inconsistent first layers by adjusting Z offset! While it may seem like you can just oversquish it to try and hide it, this introduces more issues, and can even dig your nozzle into the build plate! There are known issues with Z offset on the K1 series and  it's not the solution. A correctly functioning printer should not need a Z offset correction. DON'T TOUCH YOUR Z OFFSET! 

The missing piece of the puzzle is that the printer is not measuring the bed accurately. The generated bed mesh does not match the true contour of the bed, so all subsequent adjustments are incorrect. This means upgrading your bed, trying to manually level it, or even just looking at the bed mesh are pointless because it's not being measured properly. You need to start by upgrading to a proper probe so you can measure correctly. In many cases, after doing this step you may find that you don't need an upgraded bed or manual leveling at all, because the printer will be able to correctly compensate once it has the correct information but you will still gain additional benefits.

If you don't care for the details and just want to solve all of the issues at the same time, start with a Cartographer or Eddy Duo so the printer can measure and compensate correctly. A $5 set of M4 bed level knobs will bring each corner of the build plate up to the same level so the printer doesn't have to attempt as much compensation, and a graphite bed will eliminate warping and the need for long preheats. If you want to get a more in depth understanding of how it all works, read on. 

Compatible with K1 Series (without CFS), K2 Series (with or without CFS) and many other klipper printers which suffer from the same isues. You're not alone!

For people using the CFS on the K1 series, use Eddy Duo instead but read this page first to understand how it works!

K2 Series owners click here for the K2 specific mount and instructions after reading how it works!

1. BED MESH

The bed mesh is a 3D map of your bed which is used by the printer attempt to compensate for imperfections in the bed surface by lifting the entire bed up or down and squishing subsequent layers to eventually level it out. The bed mesh is generated using a load cell system with 4 strain sensors plugged into a dedicated MCU with over 20 wires which detect when the nozzle is pressing against the build plate. This might sound good on paper, but in practice it's often problematic. It needs a clean, heated nozzle and bed, has a lot of possible failure points, is extremely slow, and only measures a grid of 6x6 points. Most importantly, it isn't accurate! This is why things you may have tried that “should” work DON'T work! It's made worse when you don't give the bed enough time to stop warping due to heat, and when using a textured build plate. Even when you tick all the boxes, it is still essentially a random number generator. If you type probe_accuracy in the fluidd console to have the printer run a diagnostic test, you will be disappointed. This is not a K1 series specific issue - many other popular printer brands which use load cell setups suffer from the exact same thing.

What are the consequences of using the load cell setup?

Because each generated point can be inaccurate, all compensation and z offset adjustments will be wrong! You can not make corrections based on incorrect data! Usually this manifests as an inconsistent first layer, which sets up the rest of the print to fail - but it gets worse. Lines may under-bond, over-squish, print in thin air, or the nozzle may even dig into the build plate. Many users assume you can address this by adjusting Z-offset, but as we went through earlier, touching the z offset is the wrong solution to the wrong problem which can introduce new problems. Z-offset is a single offset derived from the mesh itself, meaning attempting to adjust it at one point will make all of the other points wrong, and this is not only completely pointless if the printer can't measure the points properly in the first place, but also has the potential to cause damage. Offsets saved in different places can even stack or load incorrectly between prints, and even if the same offset loads correctly, the bed mesh may change, and it's a roll of the dice whether you lose your build plate or lose the print. The possibility of confusion between positive and negative adjustments due to different methods of setting the offset (eg. on the printer screen, in fluidd, in configs, in the slicer) is also high risk. Many people have driven the nozzle through the build plate due to making z offset adjustments. Even if you get lucky, the best case scenario is that you squish it enough to hide obvious high spots, but this is just pulling a rug over the root cause, and I have to really drive this point one more time - it's going to cause more issues instead of solving them.

2. BED LEVEL

Leveling means making the bed surface parallel to the plane that the nozzle travels on. The K1 series is NOT capable of automatic bed leveling. Instead, it tries to compensate by moving the entire bed up and down with one Z motor, which is NOT the same. This does not tilt the bed like true auto leveling and introduces small errors, since the toothed and stepping nature of kinematic system means has a finite resolution. A commanded move to Z100 might actually land at 99.96 or 100.02 in practice. The compensation uses klippers mesh fade parameter to squish the first layers which causes buildup, scraping and stepping instead of smooth, consistent lines, meaning dimensional accuracy and print quality goes out the window. Every layer is compromised when the foundation is compromised. The straighter the bed, the less the printer relies on this crude approach, so it will always be better to have a level bed than trying to compensate for it not being level. 

There are many methods to manually level the bed, such as using shims, skipping belt teeth, using the paper method and detensioning the belt while securing the bed against the flat base of the printer. But the easiest, most accurate and best all-round method is to install a $5 bed level knob kit and run the SCREWS_TILT_CALCULATE command via the fluidd console, which performs a quick test at each corner and provides you with the exact measurements to turn each knob. This method can get each corner PERFECT in a single minute, and it's a lot easier than any of the other methods! If the tilt is really bad, one of the other methods might get you in the ballpark, and the knobs can fine tune it. True automatic leveling would require a new mainboard, PSU, and extra Z motors, which is possible, but overkill, hard and unnecessary compared to a simple, cheap and precise method you only need to do once. Remember: All bed level adjustments rely on accurate data, which is why an aftermarket probe should come first. With that being said, if you don't require perfection, you might be happy leaving your bed tilted as long as you have an accurate probe that will allow the printer to compensate correctly! However, this step is so easy, cheap and effective that it's still worth doing. 

3. BED SURFACE

Now we are talking about the actual shape of the surface that's being printed on. Typically, you print on a PEI coated spring steel build plate which has a magnetic layer underneath, and a 3 mm aluminum bed under that. The factory 3mm bed is often warped from the factory and changes shape when heated, which is why long preheats are needed before probing in order to stabilize it. As we've learned with the layer lines, the imperfect surface of the bed is going to influence the magnet and build plate above it. Preheating it to allow it time to stop warping can take 30+ minutes each print and reduces dimensional accuracy when layers which should be flat become wavy or bowed to match the contour of the build plate. If you are trying to troubleshoot and need to do multiple bed scans, this can add hours, days or even weeks. 

Upgrading to a 6 mm graphite bed on the K1/K1C or 8 mm on the K1 Max will improve the base bed layer. Graphite beds are ultra-flat, thermally stable, and do not deform under heat, eliminating the need for long preheats. While being the lowest priority out of the 3 pillars, this upgrade greatly improves quality, speed of heating and most importantly reliability. It is also compatible with eddy current probes like the cartographer which means if you are striving for perfection or trying to troubleshoot, you can bypass the build plate or magnet to determine where any high or low spots are coming from. These are often overlooked but absolutely contribute to the overall flatness. The magnetic layer can be sanded to bring down high spots, and aluminium tape can be added to bring up low spots. The smooth PEI plate is the best plate to use. On a factory system, combining a textured build plate with a low resolution of 6x6 points can also contribute to bad measurements. Aggressive bending, trying to pull prints off the build plate when they are stuck, glue, dust, leaking filament etc all contribute to the final mesh.

Visual Representation:

Below is a mesh generated by the factory system on the left and a mesh generated on the same machine after installing an aftermarket probe on the right. This helps to visualize the low resolution of the factory system and how each point deviates from the true contour of the bed shown on the right. With the cartographer on default settings, you get more points, more accuracy, and the best thing about it is it's a LOT faster! It's important to understand that a standard layer height is 0.2mm, and while this is an extreme but real and not uncommon case where there is over a 10mm difference, the differences can also be so subtle that it's impossible to tell by looking at the mesh. A standard layer height for a 0.4mm nozzle is 0.2mm. Even if a point is 0.01 mm out from where it should be, that is a 20% deviation and more than enough to cause issues.

Why is the Cartographer better?

• 700% increased bed mesh resolution! More data points for a more accurate mesh.

• Over 1000% faster probing speed! Under 5 sec using KAMP, under 30 sec for full mesh.

• Not affected by dirty nozzles! Uses contactless eddy currents instead of touching the bed!

• Convenient toolhead screw access and cable protection

• Extra clearance provided for connector and PCB component build variations

• Easy face down printing without supports for all mounts and tools

• Mounts to the existing lidar mounting points

• Solves and prevents error codes 2529, 2521, 2522, 2020, 2021, 2065, 2118, 2119, 2345, 2514, 2520, 2521, 2522, 2523, 2524 and 2533 (leveling sensor related)

• K1MAX owners can use the lidar data port on the toolhead

• Non K1-Max owners may need to run a longer cable to the board

• Tools are provided to retrofit this to the linear rail carriage or non lidar carriage.

• Optional spacers for tweaking Z and X offsets to provide maximum compatibility.

• Optional active cooling for pushing your printer past it's thermal limits.

Why might this NOT be for you?

• This upgrade requires root access 

• This upgrade requires a 3D printed mount.

• This upgrade requires a different firmware which is not compatible with the CFS

 If you are unable to print a mount due to a load cell failure, you can get one sent to you from this online 3D printing service

THINGS YOU MIGHT NEED

ADDITIONAL THINGS FOR V7 AND V8 ACTIVE COOLING

PRINT SETTINGS - ASA, ABS, PC OR PACF RECOMMENDED. 0.2MM LAYER HEIGHT

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MOUNT VERSIONS - CLEARANCE TO SUIT YOUR SETUP

 All versions work - Pick the one that best suits your needs. Generally this will be the lightweight V5 mount or the V7 / V8 active cooling mount. Depending on your z offset, you may need to either lower or move the KAMP purge line or snip the solder joints to avoid hitting the purge line. You may also need to adjust your nozzle wiper height and account for a few mm of extra Y clearance when using a nozzle wiper. Clearance mounts have the whole PCB area cut out to account for the difference in manufacturing - probes from Watts Kraken stick out roughly 3-4mm more than probes from cartographer3d. Aliexpress probe has not been tested. The universal mounts build on this with even more clearance for linear rail setups. All mounts work with probes bought directly from carto3d and stock K1 setups. Other shrouds have not been tested - they may fit so feel free to experiment and report your findings and I will add it to the compatibility list. You need some clearance on the left underside as well as a lidar cutout for a shroud to be compatible.

Mount Version	X Offset	Compatible fan shrouds
V1 - Partially blocks the left stock fan duct. A 3mm printable spacer can be added if it bothers you	-15.665	Stock Shroud
V2 - Same as V1 but with shorter feet to clear more fan shrouds. Compatible with others using spacer	-15.665	Stock Shroud Spider Shroud
V3 - Same as V2 with built in 3mm spacer to fully clear stock fan duct and add compatibility for other toolhead covers.	-18.665	Stock Shroud Spider Shroud D3vil Burner IFTC Shroud
V4 - Universal mount for stock carriage. Compatible with stock carriage and some linear rails. Probe to mount pilot holes to be drilled for 2mm self tappers or 3mm machine screws. Fits multiple carto and beacon configurations	-18.665	Stock Shroud, Spider Shroud D3vil Burner IFTC Shroud
V5 -  Universal mount for stock and linear rail carriages. Provides the most clearance. Compatible with multiple carto and beacon configurations. Probe to mount pilot holes to be drilled for 2mm self tappers or 3mm machine screws.	-18.665	Stock Shroud Spider Shroud D3vil Burner IFTC Shroud
V8 - With Active cooling. Heavier but covered version of V8. Uses this fan to reduce MCU temp. Fan wire cutout.	-18.665	Stock Shroud Spider Shroud D3vil Burner IFTC Shroud
V8 - With Active cooling. Stripped down version of V7 to reduce weight. Uses this fan to reduce MCU temp. Fan wire cutout. Best for Cartographer V3	-18.665	Stock Shroud Spider Shroud D3vil Burner IFTC Shroud

MAKING THE LIDAR CABLE

The toolhead end uses a 5-PIN Molex Picoblade connector with a 1.25mm thread pitch. The cartographer end uses a 4-PIN JST-PH connector with a 2mm thread pitch. JST cables can be used in place of Molex cables. It's cheaper to get one of each JST cable, cut them, twist the wires together in the correct order and use combination heat shrink solder with a lighter. Alternatively, you could do a tidier but more expensive job by buying a kit of cables and connectors and building a cable from scratch. 

For V7 and V8 active cooling, you can connect the fan and optional LED to the FILAMENT or TOUCH port here

 If you would like to contribute towards the development of a website dedicated to K1 series fixes and upgrade tutorials you can do so here  https://ko-fi.com/dfbpurcell


MORE INFO AND TUTORIALS AT 3DPHUB.NET