# Specific 3D Printers, Scanners, & Hardware > RepRap Format Printer Forum >  Strings between parts.

## DrLuigi

Hey guys,

As the title already kinda explains i wanted to talk about those strings when the hotend goes from one side, To another side where it shouldnt print.
But like many know most of the time you will get a nice string when it crosses between these two sides,

Kinda wanted to ask how you guys made it better?

I start to think that this could just be my plastic that isnt that great as quality goes.

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## papabur

You need to fix your retraction settings, for mine i have it set at 2mm with a retraction speed of 35mm/s...seems to work fine for me.(im using a J-Head) Are you using Slic3r?

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## MeoWorks

Yep it's a retraction issue. Personally I don't use retraction because I find Cura takes care of a lot of the stringing and they're just like fine hairs that fall right off. Some filament can be very sticky so stringing might be worse in those cases.

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## DrLuigi

well i have Cura, 12mm/s 4mm far. Jhead 0.35

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## MeoWorks

Try speeding it up until it stops stringing.

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## DrLuigi

> Try speeding it up until it stops stringing.


Ah, I always made it slower and made the length of the restract longer, Well i will try that,
Will put here later on perhaps some photos and such how it became better or worse, If i have some time.

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## Sysgen

I find that the temperature can also make a good difference, if it's too hot, it will string more. Have you played with the temperature and tried lowering it a little?

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## DrLuigi

Ye, 190 seems to be a nice temp. for pla.

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## DrLuigi

Anyone have tryed 15mm/s retraction on there makerfarm?
Mine is 4.5mm far, and it makes a very crunchy sound, If this is unusual i will make a sound record of it.

Gonna lower it down a little.


Expected this alot worse,

I did it to 13mm/s and seems better now,
https://www.dropbox.com/s/iws4xk4fjg...2015.31.23.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6206dfhwnj...2015.31.31.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dr55nk5ynx...2015.31.39.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/b0pabaek67...2015.31.46.jpg

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## Sysgen

> Ye, 190 seems to be a nice temp. for pla.


I've have some PLA that works great at 190 and others at 209, depends on manufacturer I guess.

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## DrLuigi

Just done the same part again, Same settings, Except i did my temp to 205 as i found that the plastic didnt went through the nozzle that easily at 190.

I find these results even better imo,

I didnt clean up the strings when making pics btw.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gqisodsfmb...2020.22.46.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wdnwy6s72o...2020.22.54.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ud7uaggzha...2020.23.08.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sgp3rfem04...2020.23.00.jpg

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## Sysgen

What are your print settings for this job in Cura? 

Can you send me the link to this part, I'll try printing it and take a picture.

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## DrLuigi

Well, It was at 0.2 layer height, 205c hotend, 13mm/s retraction speed 4 retracted
Speed of about 40mm/s (printing speed).

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:15087
I changed a few settings while getting another print ready, But i have it all in my head, if you need something just ask, I think i already told you everything thats necassary


Edit:
Just made the hollow pyramid again,

Not that great, but not bad either tbh.
I do think i must decrease my time on how long a layer minimum should take, wich is 5 for me at the moment,
I think the nozzle is warming up the previous layer to much wich causes that round shape at the top.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bm2bls2hmu...2022.15.40.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1400f9vzll...2022.15.47.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6t204ou37d...2022.15.57.jpg

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## Sysgen

It is a difficult part to print, the first one was the blue one, not bad, then the purple, don't know what happened there, last one is red and the best one I find. 

I used all the same settings for all 3 except for the temperature because they are all from different manufacturer and melt at different temperatures, I found those by trial and error. I've included my settings. 

IMG_20140304_183148.jpg
IMG_20140304_183158.jpg
IMG_20140304_183209.jpg
IMG_20140304_183220.jpg
image001.jpg

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## Sysgen

Advanced settings

image002.jpg

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## DrLuigi

100mm/s retraction? Thats rather fast,

What printer are you using?

And ye the purple one is very akward,

The others are almost like mine, Ive gotta say for such a simple print, it is rather hard to print it out nicely :P

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## Sysgen

100 just means go as fast as you can which is not really fast. I have a Prusa i3. These little motors don't turn fast at all.

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## DrLuigi

well 13 seems to be the max for me here, 780mm/min in prontrface tells me the same thing lol :P

Oh well, I guess stringing is now pretty good, after some small strings. guess you can only lose those with another hotend or ABS perhaps. as PLA oozes more.

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## Sysgen

One thing I notice though, I do not have stringing like you do and I have a jhead also.

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## MeoWorks

Unless we can all use the same manufacturer and batch of filament while also accurately measuring hot end temperatures, we'll never have a definitive solution to zero stringing. Too many factors to consider...

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## Sysgen

What if your thermocouple was the wrong model or defective in some way, while you think your printing at 198, you could very well be printing at 245 !

Have you ever tried lowering your temperature until there is no stringing anymore? That's pretty much how I did it and that's how I adjust for different type of materials.

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## DrLuigi

Well might try it tomorow on 180, But i thought if i remember right, that the gear just doesnt feel well when turning at 180-190.

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