I often run without side panels for PLA and add them back on for ABS. Here's how I ended up routing mine:
http://i.imgur.com/b2Hk5FS.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/vZVgKSv.jpg?1
Printable View
I often run without side panels for PLA and add them back on for ABS. Here's how I ended up routing mine:
http://i.imgur.com/b2Hk5FS.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/vZVgKSv.jpg?1
My neverending battle with ABS continues. I typically have zero issues with PLA, but ABS causes me so many headaches.
Most prints, as long as I manage to get adhesion to the bed, I'm good.
However, I've now got a problem with ABS where I get a good centimeter of printing completed, and then the piece will come free of the glass like so:
https://preview.ibb.co/dssbTv/IMG_20...450182_HDR.jpg
Any tips on getting past this issue? It's a continual problem for me with ABS.
Well, the filament I happen to have loaded is from Solutech, which I have to say, seems to suck hard. I've had very bad luck with it. I've got a different silver I Can try.
For everything PLA on the glass I've been using a glue stick with almost 100% success.
Is 110 too hot for the glue stick, perhaps?
When I do ABS (and PLA, it works well for both) I've used an ABS slurry. Very thin, mostly acetone, and I roll it on with a metal rod or a wooden shishkebab stick. Let it dry while the glass is cool, and it should be alright. I use white ABS leftovers and keep it in a jar. Looks like thin milk.
I got a new glass plate yesterday to replace one that broke. I put it on and tried printing PLA to it. It just stuck. I added nothing to the plate. It was pretty entertaining. I've since added a thin slurry coating to it, though, after some larger prints popped off early.
That being said, you might check:
1. Your level. I find if anything's out of whack, that sometimes helps. If you're not level in the spots that need to be, it can mean your initial layer isn't going down clean and then there's less to hold it.
2. Add a skirt. 1 layer, 10 lines. It'll help to hold it down, at least for the first couple layers.
3. Try turning your bed temp down. Sounds weird, but I was printing ABS at 90C and it was working just fine.
4. Make sure the cooling fan isn't coming on at some odd time. You can turn it on or off manually on the printer's settings, or within the software if you're using one that allows it. You shouldn't need the cooling fan on at all for ABS.
5. Check Lefty or Righty, depending on which extruder you're using. I had a hell of a time printing with Righty, with Lefty basically knocking the entire print/glass off the bed once the print got to a certain height. This can also come from uneven leveling of the bed. If it's getting knocked off at the same spot each time, this or something similar might be the culprit.
6. Slow it down. If you can set your layer speeds, set the first couple of layers to 50%. You could also try turning down your overall print speed and see if it helps.
I hope it helps. This is all stuff I've had issues with in the last month or so, and I'm hardly an expert.
Yeah, I haven't tried the slurry method yet. However, with the AquaNet I've gotten it to about 3cm without it getting knocked loose. I'm using lefty.
Of course now I'm hitting the OTHER ABS issue I've bad in the last. This isn't a problem at the beginning, but the left edge of the piece (basically oval footprint on this thing) is starting to curl up from the bed.
I so hate ABS right now.
I feel ya. I really prefer PLA unless I need the ABS for something. I had the same problem today with a curved print, where I was printing close to the left edge. It started lifting, then the print got squished upward. I centered it more, and I didn't have the problem again. Could it be that the left side (or sides in general) aren't heating as evenly? I've clipped them down in the past (when I used rafts), but I don't like the finish you get with a raft.
I'd say try turning the print slightly if you can, or move it slightly more toward the center if it's something the model allows.
Yeah, this time it made it to about the 4cm point before it went to hell.
I'm going to move it off center and head to the right instead and see what happens on the next one.
I'm in the PLA camp as well. Every so often I beat my head against the wall for a while, hit all my fingers with hammers, walk on some thumbtacks and then try ABS again just to remind myself how painfully frustrating it can be. Regretfully, I've just not been particularly successful there. My bad.
I've been successfully using MakerGeeks "Raptor PLA" material for several months now and heat annealing it after printing. I love how it prints, kind of buttery like ABS. (See, I was paying attention and can say nice things about ABS.) Also the Raptor PLA doesn't warp off the bed like ABS, is dishwasher safe, and extremely strong after annealing even at elevated temperatures where normal PLA materials would lose it. So far I've been succesful at using Raptor PLA in preference to ABS, with the added advantage that I can get the Raptor PLA to successfully print nearly every time.
I suspect there must be vendors other than Makergeeks with similar materials (maybe some referred to as "PLA+"?) but I do not have any hands-on experience with them. IMHO filament vendors seem not very forthcoming about their formulations, or even the physical characteristics of their materials. This makes it more difficult to compare or even identifiy the comparables. Is anyone aware of a comparitive filament chacteristics reference that is current and maintained by an independent organization?
When printing Raptor PLA I use a glass bed @ 60C with glue stick and an extruder temp of 230C. (I know the 230C seems very high for PLA, but it works really well.) I also have the door(s) open, the top off, and the cooling blower on after the first layer. I think the raw Raptor PLA filament may be a bit softer than standard PLA, so proper extruder nozzle height above the print bed, filament feed gear engagement, and filament feeder mechanism cooling and maintenance is important to avoid chewing into the filament and potentially clogging the extruder.
Is the parts cooling fan coming on. I had this recently that it was set to come on and I didn't realize and the left side of an ABS print lifted. Turned it of and redid the part and it was fine.
One thing I have done is add a PEI sheet to the glass and it has worked out pretty good. Take s a bit to get used to but haven't used spray or glue for a while now.
Hi guys, I recently got into 3d printing and the QIDI Tech 1 is my first printer. I had initial success with my first print but now it's all gone to hell; it looks like the printer is putting down successive layers at an offset instead of directly on top of the previous layer. It continues that pattern until it extrudes off the plate. Any ideas how to fix this?
This happened both with files that I sliced (using Makerware) and with the test file that QIDI support sent me. I'm printing HIPS/ABS, 250C/230C/110C bed temp. I factory reset the printer and it still happened.
Here's a pic of the test file print; I stopped the print after it started extruding off plate.
http://i63.tinypic.com/jrcso8.jpg
Are both nozzles the same height and have you leveled your build Plate to the nozzles?
Yup. Here's the video that led to the above in case you can diagnose that way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea5L...ature=youtu.be
You're being pretty ambitious trying to do a dual print.
What's your bed temp?
I would recommend you seriously consider getting Simplify 3D for your slicer it will save you a lot of headaches.
Yes, it's that much better and worth the $160.
Apoc4, I totally agree w/ Rcleav's comments re. S3D. Well worth the $. How is your slicer configured wrt the type of printer you are using? Can you do a single extruder print without issues?
Haha yeah, it did occur to me that I bit off a little more than I could chew. The same error occurred when I tried using the single extruder though.
After the back and forth with QIDI customer service, they determined it's a problem with the main board so they're sending me a new one. Hopefully that fixes it.
I'm pretty sure I'll get S3D but I want to wait until the new board comes. I was using Makerware before, but even with the test files that QIDI sent me, the same thing happened. So it's doubtful it has to do with the slicer settings.
So, I've had something new and a bit concerning happen lately. Maybe it's nothing.
The last few times I've turned on my printer, the music has been distorted. Sometimes there's a...hitch in the notes. That's new to me. The most recent time I've turned it on, instead of "beep da beep da beep beep beep" I got "beep da beep da beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep".
Anyone heard this one before? Anything I should be concerned about?
Can you name that tune in 4 notes or less?
I'm not a music person, so I'm going to go with "Smoke on the Water".
Ha, with a choice like that I think you are definitely a music person.
I don't think it is anything to worry about. I have honestly never realized it made a noise.
Figured out what was wrong - it wasn't a computer problem at all, but a mechanical problem. The belt was slipping in the plastic sled (it looked like the sled warped with the heat) so the head wasn't being moved consistently. I jury-rigged a fix by adding masking tape underneath the plastic piece that screws onto the sled and bites into the belt, and so far it's been printing correctly. Hopefully QIDI Tech CS will send me a replacement sled just in case.
Also check ebay for QIDI the part is cheap.
Welp, looks like my bed heater has gone out. Just sits at 18c no matter what I do. Contact my friends from QIDI, did a couple things, and now am apparently going to be waiting on parts.
While I wait the (presumed) weeks to get the replacements, does anyone have any other suggestions on what to check? How about printing with a cool bed?
They were pretty quick for me on one.
I think you could do PLA ok. May take some work. Google PLA and no heated bed.
I didn't want to mess with things since I'd finally gotten the damned thing 100% dialed in for ABS. But I tried one with PLA, didn't even have to level the bed, and it's printing perfectly.
Call that one a win...
Nice one!
I was printing along last night and came back to a dark printer! No power. I thought well, it has worn out. It has printed a lot in a year. It is about to get some upgrades so I figured i'd just pull it apart and figure it out then. Then I had the bright idea to check the fuse. What do you know. The fuse had actually broken. One of the end caps had come loose. New fuse and back in business.
Always start with the most obvious, simple stuff when trouble shooting.
Hi W! Glad to hear it was an easy fix for you. I got some more Raptor PLA filament from MG last week. All bags sealed and filament is working well. I continue to be extremely pleased with the Raptor PLA stuff, although I do wish it were cheaper.
There was a surprise, MG has changed their filament spool to a thinner one with a different hub hole size as well (57.5mm). Had to make new hub adapters to fit them onto the shaft in my dry box. Because they are thinner, the new spools are also more full to the brim with filament, so it is a little easier to inadvertently goof up a roll inside the dry box by slipping a loop over the side edges of the spool. Again, more of an issue if the spools are on a shaft.
The more I use my dry box, the more I like your "just set it in the box" approach. (Having every spool in the box on a spit is a pain, reminds me of the engine+trans+differential in my old Corvair.) Did you ever publish the design for your dry box?
Like those fixes. Now to go stock up on fuses.
I sent back 6 rolls to MG. Filament diameters where way off. I had 1.67 to 1.78 on some and as much as 1.83 on some. I am doing there monthly box since it is a pretty good deal now at $30 and you get 2 rolls.
I am becoming a fan of eSun. Had an Amazon shipping problem which got me talking to a guy from eSun and he was really nice so I have tried a bunch of there PLA, PLA+ and PEtG in various colors. So far very pleased with the performance. PLA+ may be a bit like that Raptor stuff but at PLA price.
They have a really good selection and reasonable shipping but you can get it from Amazon with Prime also. Prices on their site are pretty much the same as Amazon.
I still have pretty good luck with Hatchbox also.
About to do a big upgrade on the trusty QIDI from JFKansas. My QIDI X-one has proven to be a trooper and does anything I ask of it. I have been running ABS on it for a while and it does a great job.
It would be a great machine with a small nozzle for detail work.
I gave up on the dry box. I have dry boxes now just for storage with plug-in rechargeable desiccant packs and humidity monitors. I change filaments so much it is a better solution. I have anywhere from 32-50 open rolls going so the direct feed became more trouble that a help.
I never put any files out but if you want any of them just let me know.
!! 32 to 50 open rolls !! Holy cow W, what are you doing there? I've been really pleased with the platform upgrade from JFK, which mod are you getting?
I've not measured the MG filament diameter here, but I seem not to have any issues with whatever it actually is. I really like the way the MG Raptor PLA prints, and I would love to have an alternative supplier for a similar material. The Raptor stuff is also FDA food and dishwasher safe, and is extremely strong. The eSun PLA+ website does not include any claims of food or dishwasher safe, or high-temp etc., although it does state that PLA+ is "10x tougher" than PLA.
Of all the stuff I've seen so far, the closest I have found to the Raptor PLA is the Proto Pasta HTPLA v3. I have not tried it, but the written descriptions sound very similar, albeit lacking the food and dishwasher safe certifications. Unfortunately at this point the price and color choices are very poor for the Proto Pasta HTPLA v3 material. Here is a link for some info / pricing etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Proto-Pasta-T.../dp/B0727M59L6
Here is some text re. annealing. (There is more on the mfg website.): "Heat treating: PLA and HTPLA as printed, though both adequate performers in an office environment, have poor temperature stability, loosing significant stiffness at temperatures not much above 50C. Different than standard PLA, HTPLA is designed to survive heat treating for higher temperature stability in a no/minimal load condition to near melting. That's an astonishing 3x+ improvement in thermal stability compared to standard PLA after a quick bake in the oven after printing. In as little as 5-10 minutes for small, thin parts and as much a few hours for massive parts, HTPLA v3 parts crystallize in an oven at 110C +/- 10C (200-250F) to become more stiff."
Yea, PLA+ is just stronger PLA. So it is nice to print and prints great at 215 and a tougher product. I go to PTEG or ABS for higher temp and tough and it is still cost effective.
I had a discussion on "food safe" with eSun and he said basically anything FDM printed is not food safe. Only true "clear" filament can be considered food safe since there is no coloring. I gathered the whole food safe thing is more that the filament is non-toxic if it comes into contact with food stuff.
I have been doing a bunch of print jobs. Running 5 printers now! So it's mostly different colors of PLA, ABS and PETG with wood and a few exotics thrown in.
I would like to print some abrasive filaments SteelFill and CF PETG. What would you guys recommend - is there a suitable nozzle swap or should I look at an all metal hotend?
Here are two options I was considering:
Steel Nozzle:
https://www.p3-d.com/collections/dur...truder-nozzles
All Metal Hotend:
https://www.amazon.com/Hotend-Nozzle.../dp/B01C3HEQZC
If you end up taking the hot end approach, you might check out jfkansas site. He makes some kits that might help with that changeover. I think there are some size differences that need to be considered if you are on a QiDi Tech printer. The web site for his store is http://store.wmdproducts.com/
Thanks for the tip DaveB. I'm looking at this widget:
http://store.wmdproducts.com/index.p...&product_id=70
The advantage of an all metal hotend I understand is the ability to print in excess of 250C without damage to the PTFE lining on the stock set-up. That said, I'm not sure this printer can get above 250C?
Whereas a replacement hardened steel nozzle simply reduces wear caused by abrasive filaments.
I do not have an all metal hot end on my QiDi printer. I don't know what its top operating temperature might be.
Any QiDi users know how to coerce S3D and QiDi to pause for filament change when printing from an SD?