Tried everything I can read but getting frustrated

[pedro66]

New member first post and I guess like they often are a cry fro help

So I think I have tried everything I can find on search printer was working OK I am using a Mankati XT it came with double sided Kapton but I have not been able to find any to replace what came with the printer it seems hard to find, I am using PLA

Leveled the bed using a thick business card as in the Mankati video
Increased bed heat to 70
Increased extruder to 230

Tried

Hairspray
Blue Painters Tape
New Kapton (original stuff was double sided)

Just cannot print any longer


I can't believe that this thing will only work with the double sided tape

[3D OZ]

I can't view your videos but a thick business card gap sounds way too much.
230 is too high for PLA and 60 degree bed heat is more than enough.
I print with PLA on a heated Kapton tape printbed at 60 degrees and 190-210 nozzle temp without any problems.
My preference for treating the Kapton is to give it a light sand with 400 grit paper and clean very very thoroughly with Isopropyl Alcohol.

I think your nozzle to bed gap is your problem. I use a single sheet of paper to set the gap. Once the gap is set, one sheet should slide easily between nozzle and bed, but two sheets won't fit. Works for me.

[pedro66]

OK great that helped a lot now I am getting somewhere so much for the manufacturers instructions

I am still getting a big blob that drags at the start as you see in the video any way to avoid that or is it just leveling?

Thanks

[3D OZ]

Too big a gap between nozzle and bed can cause that.
You need the nozzle to gently force the extruded material down onto the printbed.
If the nozzle is too high the extrusion just falls onto the bed rather than being pushed.

You should also check your "first layer height" setting in your slicing software, there is often different settings for the first layer and all subsequent layers.

[pedro66]

Too big a gap between nozzle and bed can cause that.
You need the nozzle to gently force the extruded material down onto the printbed.
If the nozzle is too high the extrusion just falls onto the bed rather than being pushed.

You should also check your "first layer height" setting in your slicing software, there is often different settings for the first layer and all subsequent layers.

Great thanks what should those numbers be in the region of?

[jimc]

like oz said you are printing way too far from the bed...without a doubt. the blob looks like it created by a very strange start sequence. you can write your own. you would usually want the nozzle to move off the edge of the bed, prime/purge the nozzle with about 20mm of filament or so then the bed raise slightly and have the nozzle do a wipe sequence using the bed edge to scrape off the purged material. do a retract then it can immediately goto your skirt or print your model.

[3D OZ]

First layer should be a little less than your nozzle diameter, 0.2-0.4mm.
Sort your bed height out first.

Good luck.

[pedro66]

Cool thanks I set it to 0 as thats what it wanted to default to in the software and that seems to of solved it

Just some fine tuning now getting a little ripple on the first layer as it fills in a flat right in the center of the print but that does not seem to be carrying on up through the layers

[Lueman]

Ditto to all above. I would add if you are using slicr go to printer settings and tweak the Z-Offset a business card is approx .33mm so without going over this amount, be careful, I have no way of knowing your actual settings so err on the side of caution! I would start with (-.15) to (-.25)mm get a calibration stl I use a 20X20X10 mm box and keep adjusting the z offset till you get consistent results. goog luck

[3DPBuser]

So a first layer is thinner?