Print remains attached
Measure the print. Build the recovery file. Use Safe Resume Homing, then paper-test the nozzle before you lock the position.
Failed print recovery
Finish your failed 3D print instead of starting over.
The Helm finds where the print stopped, rebuilds the rest of the G-code, and helps you line the nozzle back up. It can even help when the printer lost its position or the print came off the bed.
Works with OctoPrint and Klipper through Moonraker.
$29/year for the web, Android, and OctoPrint versions.
Loose print recovery
Print came off the bed? It may still be saveable.
The Helm makes a landing pad and alignment guides. Put the print back in place, line it up, secure it, and finish it.
- Make a guide for the old print.
- Check the sides before you lock it in.
- Confirm the position before you resume.
Proof video
Watch The Helm recover a print that came off the bed
Just solved the biggest problem in 3D printing, nothing to see here
A real recovery walkthrough showing The Helm bringing a failed print back instead of starting over.
Comparison
One tool for the whole recovery
Power-loss recovery handles one kind of failure. Skip-to-layer handles one step. The Helm brings the whole recovery together.
| Feature | The Helm | Power-loss recovery | Skip-to-layer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continue after a clean power outage | Guided recovery | Automatic when supported | Manual |
| Start from a measured height | ✓ | — | Layer only |
| Help after a clog, runout, or disconnect | ✓ | — | Restart point only |
| Rebuild the rest of the G-code | ✓ | — | Basic cut only |
| Remove unsafe starting moves | ✓ | — | — |
| Home safely around the old print | ✓ | — | — |
| Help line up X, Y, and Z | ✓ | — | — |
| Help when the printer lost its position | ✓ | — | — |
| Help when the print shifted | ✓ | — | — |
| Help when the print came off the bed | ✓ | — | — |
| Preview the recovery before starting | ✓ | — | — |
| Walk you through the recovery | ✓ | — | — |
Even after power-loss recovery or a pause/resume sequence, the continuation can still leave a visible layer line. The Helm's precision realignment may help make those resumes cleaner too.
Workflow
How it works
You give The Helm the old file and a simple measurement. It helps you make a recovery file and line the nozzle back up.
- Choose the original G-code.
Use a local file or a Moonraker file. - Measure the part that already printed.
Enter the lower side if the part is uneven. - The Helm rebuilds the file.
It finds where to restart and builds the recovery file. - Home and line up the nozzle.
Use the guided controls to match the old print. - Check the preview and resume.
Nothing starts until you confirm it.
Print moved or came off the bed
Make the landing pad. Put the print back on the guides. Check the sides, then lock the position.
Safety
You stay in control
The Helm helps you avoid guessing. You still check the setup before the printer moves on.
- The Helm avoids blind Z moves during homing.
- Guided controls help you line up the nozzle.
- A paper test helps set the correct height.
- You can check the recovery before running it.
- Nothing starts until you confirm it.
Compatibility
What you need
The Helm works with FDM printers controlled through OctoPrint or Klipper with Moonraker.
Not sure what you use? If you print through OctoPrint, Fluidd, or Mainsail, you are probably close. You can also ask before buying.
Printer connections stay on your local network. The Helm uses only the limited activation and service data described in the Privacy Policy.
Pricing
$29/year
Save one long print and The Helm could pay for the whole year.
One subscription includes the web app, Android app, and OctoPrint plugin on up to three installations.
That can mean time and filament saved. It can also mean your printer gets back to the next job sooner.
If a legitimate issue prevents you from getting practical benefit during the first 30 days, we'll work with you and take care of it. Read the complete Limited 30-Day Refund Policy.
The Helm subscription
$29/year
Web app, Android app, and OctoPrint plugin.
Print farmers
Attention Print Farmers: there is no limit to the number of printers!
A single installation of The Helm has no limit on the number of printers it can be used on. Changing printers is as easy as swapping the Moonraker URL, for no extra charge.
Limits
Sometimes starting over is unavoidable
The Helm is not a failure detection service. It cannot fix a pile of spaghetti, run calibration tests, or correct poor bed adhesion.
But The Helm can still save time when starting over is the right call. If the bed is leveled and the coordinate state is sound, you can resume from Z 0.0 and run the full G-code without going through the entire startup ritual again.
Founder
Built because starting over should not be the only option
I'm Ken, inventor of the patent-pending Lazarus recovery method. As an aspiring print-farmer wannabe, I was being crippled by prints that started out fine and then, for one reason or another, failed to complete.
The first version saved three real prints on two different model printers in its first 48 hours. It did not just save the prints; it was fun to use. It turned frustration into satisfaction, to the point that I almost wanted prints to fail just so I could see how fast and accurately I could resume them. Then it occurred to me that maybe other people might benefit from this.
Had I known what I was in for, there is no way it would have happened. But with a little OCD, more than 2,000 hours of troubleshooting and debugging, and a measurable cost to my mind and sanity, The Helm was born. Read the full story.