Prusa i3v help

[UltraSaucy]

So I just assembled a prusa i3v kit from makerfarm, and I had a couple questions.
1)When I print something, the top of the part has gaps between where the filament was extruded. How can I fix this?
2)Is there a way to manually lift the z axis using the LCD? There are options to move the X and Y axis,but not Z. Is it in another place?
Thanks for the help, as I am new to 3d printing.

[UltraSaucy]

One more thing: Is there a way to see how much time is left during a print? The LCD says how much time has passed, but not how much time is left.

[printbus]

1) I assume you're using Slic3r as your slicing software? I found Cura does better at the top layer fill. Regardless, have you calibrated your extruder to make sure you're extruding the amount of filament that you should be?
2) Just select something other than 10 mm movement steps on the LCD. The Marlin software is set up to NOT allow Z-movement at the 10-mm increment. If you go to 1mm or 0.1mm, the Z-axis will show up as something you can select.
3) If you're printing from host software like Repetier-Host, you can get an idea of how much time is remaining. I don't think you have a way to see that on the LCD display.

[UltraSaucy]

Ok so I tried out cura and it seems to be working much better. However, on a few of the things that I have printed the printer has not returned to the home position, and it has just sat on top of the print and bobbed filament onto the finished print. Can I change something to fix this? Also, I am getting alot of strings after switching to cura. Do I need to mess with the retraction settings or is there something else? Thanks a ton for your help.

[printbus]

The gcode should include various printer commands at the end of the print. I'm not sure why these wouldn't be consistent in every print. You could open up the gcode files in a text editor and compare the lines at the end of the file. The commands at the end are something you can edit - look for them on the Cura start/end code tab and then select end.gcode. For reference, in the Makerfarm subforum dacb captured a Cura ini file in thread Cura i3v settings . Compare what you have in Cura with what he shows in the ini file starting at the end.gcode= line through the G90 line. If gcode files are new to you, the reprap wiki has a pretty good gcode reference.

On the stringy prints, is this filament that you've used without issue before? If so, you should be able to focus on retraction. If it is a new filament you're just now using with Cura, you might also have to try a lower nozzle temperature. I believe some filament is also stringier than others. I have one roll in particular that strings like hot glue pretty much no matter what I do.

[paintz2007]

1) I assume you're using Slic3r as your slicing software? I found Cura does better at the top layer fill. Regardless, have you calibrated your extruder to make sure you're extruding the amount of filament that you should be?
2) Just select something other than 10 mm movement steps on the LCD. The Marlin software is set up to NOT allow Z-movement at the 10-mm increment. If you go to 1mm or 0.1mm, the Z-axis will show up as something you can select.
3) If you're printing from host software like Repetier-Host, you can get an idea of how much time is remaining. I don't think you have a way to see that on the LCD display.

Hi all first post here, waiting on my I3V10 (Friday ) anywho I was looking through slic3r and pronterface last night and notice the section in the config that establishes how many top and bottom layers to print solid, could this be moved from the stock 3 to say 5 layers? would that solve it?

[printbus]

Hi all first post here, waiting on my I3V10 (Friday ) anywho I was looking through slic3r and pronterface last night and notice the section in the config that establishes how many top and bottom layers to print solid, could this be moved from the stock 3 to say 5 layers? would that solve it?

It might help. Once you're printing, you'll realize you want to avoid full layers because of the time involved in printing them. The uppermost layer could also still have a grainy feel to it.

There is another setting in slic3r to consider - in expert mode under advanced, you can manipulate the extrusion width for top solid infill. Setting that to something above 100% might help the problem.

[UltraSaucy]

I have two rolls of pla, and both are much more stringy after switching to cura. One thing I noticed was that Cura has the printer retracting much more than slic3r did.(when watching the printer the extruder turns much more). Will turning the retraction down help?

[printbus]

I have two rolls of pla, and both are much more stringy after switching to cura. One thing I noticed was that Cura has the printer retracting much more than slic3r did.(when watching the printer the extruder turns much more). Will turning the retraction down help?

It would normally be the opposite. In other words, more retraction means you're pulling more filament out of the hot end chamber, so it should be less likely to string along. Cura does default to a hefty amount of retraction since the defaults are optimized for the Ultimaker's Bowden-tube extruder.

Have you tried to compare settings you were using in Slic3r with the settings available in Cura? Maybe something like hop/Z-lift or avoid perimeter crossing is different.

[UltraSaucy]

It would normally be the opposite. In other words, more retraction means you're pulling more filament out of the hot end chamber, so it should be less likely to string along. Cura does default to a hefty amount of retraction since the defaults are optimized for the Ultimaker's Bowden-tube extruder.

Have you tried to compare settings you were using in Slic3r with the settings available in Cura? Maybe something like hop/Z-lift or avoid perimeter crossing is different.

ok so I slowed the speed that cura was printing at(it was at 150) and that seems to fix the stringing problem. however, about 3/4 through a long print (it had been running for about 4 hours) the extruder motor started to just buzz and not push the filament through. I adjusted the pot on the motor driver, but that did not help. When I removed the filament it worked fine, so I loosened the two screws that hold the filament tight, but that didn't help either. Any thoughts? should I loosen the screws more, or is the motor just overworked?