What have I done wrong ?

[Entity]

Hello All,

Every print on either machine of the using the same model is going pear shape for the first 1cm of the model as per images, but the remainder of the print is fine. unsure about RepG setting so included pic of that also.

Any suggestions, as I said its happening on two different machines FFCX & FFCP
prints.jpg Capture.jpg

Thanks in advance

[curious aardvark]

you need cooling.
It's the angle of print.

Try using supports - also try makerware desktop - it slices much better than rep-g - hell an armless man with a wooden knife slices better than rep-g.

And try printing two at once if you don't have active cooling.

[Entity]

Tried makerware but soooo many settings in there that I don't yet understand, lowered bed temp to 105 and that helped marginally.

Start of prints looks like a bowl so like you suggested, think heat is an issue, the FFCP has a cooling fan but didn't thinkit was a good idea to activate when using ABS ? nor do I know how yet either. So doing bulk of experiments on the old FFCX and final working prints on FFCP. Will try duplicating prints and see how that goes.

Thanks for your help and taking the time out to reply, shall post results tomorrow.

Cheers

[Sebastian Finke]

Tried makerware but soooo many settings in there that I don't yet understand

Change that by reading reading reading. If you don't understand what a parameter does then google it and the top link (or one of the top links) will take you to the relevant page explaining all the settings. The effort is worth it.

... lowered bed temp to 105 and that helped marginally.

Still too high. ABS on a Flashforge requires 95 degrees max bed temp.

Start of prints looks like a bowl

Poor start geometry for 3D printer, support may help here (with an added raft). Can you print it with the bowl facing up?


CA is correct, switch to Makerware. Can you upload the model?

[ffvader]

Still too high. ABS on a Flashforge requires 95 degrees max bed temp.

i think that is subjective.
it depends on your printing platform.
if you have glass with glue, or tape, or buildtak directly on your build plate..
etc.
it will vary based on what you are printing on and how many layers you have on top of that and what material you are using.
some thing conduct heat better than others.

If you set your bed at 95 and hit with an infrared thermometer it should read ~95, but if you have 1/8 glass or 1/4 glass or something else.
maybe with tape on that or PEI or something. that won't read 95

for abs i set my bed to 110, using 1/4 glass with hair spray and have no issues to speak of.

[curious aardvark]

I always use cooling fan on print area. For every material.
for abs it really will help with over and under hangs.

[Entity]

Well I guess I better figure out how to turn on that cooling fan mounted to the extruders on the FFCPro, and study makerware.

The particular model prints perfect if split it, as therefore have wider base area / more layer cooling - but that's a pain. And printed thinner base diameter models last night with no drama BUT that was only due again to base coverage area meaning layers could cool.

So looks like I have some work ahead of me today, and thanks for all the feedback, tried uploading the actual STL to this reply but just wouldn't work.

Cheers

[Entity]

Well I am getting closer,

I know not all of my makerware settings are correct, however the print worked with the only defect being on left hand side of object were object is only 1 mm wide, it looks like slight under extrusion, but once height above 15mm, both sides and remainder of print worked fine.

Learning slowly learning

cheers

[Entity]

Back,

Ok after reading and listening to others it also appears that a fair cause of the left hand side of the print being initially deformed when only a small diameter object may be due to this is the point the layer starts / stops so therefore residual nozzle heat ( ? ) may be melting this point. Everytime I split the object into two halves the prints are perfect which kinda supports the theory based on less heating at the layer start / stop due to having to duplicate the print? Should I alter the Z axis Travel speed , think I had the speed set to 15 mm/s - would increasing this setting to 25 mm/s help or should I be increasing the minimum layer duration which is currently set to 10 ?

Is there a setting in makerware or Repg to turn on the additional cooling fan for the Creator pro ?

And thanks for tolerating the persistent newbie questions.

Cheers

[curious aardvark]

try looking through the control panel on the printer itself.

A lot of stuff can be switched on and off from there.
As I only have the basic creator and added the ducted cooling myself (if the printer is on so is the fan - haven't found any situation of filament yet where it doesn't help).
You sure there is active print cooling built into the pro ?
Can't recall anyone else mentioning it.