Help! My prints are failing and I can't figure out why

I've had my Tronxy XY for over a year now. I've learned a lot thru trial and error and have gotten some really good prints. I use Repetier slicer. About a week ago I started having problems with prints falling apart. I have tried cleaning the nozzle, changing filament, changing settings, changing temperature, changing models. I triple checked the bed level. When none of that worked I changed the nozzle thinking for sure that it was clogged. Still no luck. I can print flat on the bed OK, (see the green broom holder pic) but anything with any kind of wall or feature that builds up off the bed doesn't stick together. My last test was to try a desk top organizer that I printed successfully, with the exact same settings and temp, just a couple of weeks ago and it also failed. (see gray stringy pic). I don't know what is wrong. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks

Nothing? Come on - I'm totally stuck here. I don't have a clue what to try next. Somebody has to have some idea that I can try.

well you posted at 22:08 on a friday night - just how many people do you think are online over night ?
This is a worldwide forum - NOT just the bit of the states where you live :-)
And it's saturday today - so most people aren't wasting time at work, looking at forums.
Have a little patience.

It sounds like maybe the heater cartridge or thermistor is failing. Sounds like you've tried everything else.
The stepper motor drivers would appear to be working fairly accurately, so the main reason for layers not adhering would have to be incorrect temperature.

What temps and speeds are you printing at ?

The other things to check are the basics.
Check belts are tight.
Any gears attached to stepper motor shafts are tight and grub screws are not loose.
NO clogging on the extruder gears.
All wires and connectors are solid and wires haven't worn or connectors worked loose.

Also check you haven't inadvertently changed something in the slicer.
extrusion percentage, filament width - the kind of thing that might cause under extrusion.

The odds are it's something simple, but easy to overlook.

Thanks. Didn't mean to sound mean. It was 7pm my time when I posted and I see I had several views - just frustrated. Temperature is what I was thinking, but didn't know what to check or how. I'll have to see what I can find about the thermistor and heater cartridge. I've recently tightened the belts and everything else seems solid. I'm printing with PLA with the nozzle temp at 225 and the bed around 50. I'll attach my print setting and welcome any advice for this problem or cleaner prints in general. Thanks

Still today I use the older Cura 15.04.6 or if you like a Creality Slicer which is the a clone of Cura 15.04.6.

Below are my settings


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Included are my PLA and ABS configurations for Cura 15.04.6 or Creality Slicer

Yes! I'm back in business. I dug around this forum a little and found a link to a video about replacing the thermistor. It wasn't exactly like mine, of course, but it was enough to show me what it was so I could find mine. Mine doesn't have a screw - it's held in place with Kapton tape and I apparently pulled it loose last time I changed the nozzle. So I fixed that and I went from stringy weak prints to solid weak prints. I had a serious under extrusion problem. That was why I changed the nozzle to start with. I thought it was a problem that progressively got worse - apparently it was 2 separate problems. I finally figured out that the filament feeder was slipping. No noise - no indication except when I looked closely I could see that the follower with no teeth was not always moving. I took it apart and cleaned and oiled and got my first good print in about 2 weeks. Thanks for the help. I'll be sticking around because I know there will be more issues. I don't know how much help I will be to others, but I'll put my 2 cents in when I can.

well done :-)

Well you followed the advice and got the problem fixed.
You'd be surprised how often that does not happen lol

Or the person just never posts again.
Welcome to the forum.

@cliff - he's using repetier - which uses slic3r as the slicer.
Unlike cura it will allows you to directly control the printer as well - a lot like simplify3d.

It's actually pretty good.

I understand though before I spend $150 dollars would have to test any program purchased with a trial run. And this is not provided by simplify3d.
curious aardvark can I connect to my 3D Printers via internet or raspberry Pi using simplify3d, as my 3D Printers are no where close to a computer.

I Use Raspberry Pi with OctoPrint and can connect using a Web browser which gives me complete control over my 3D Printers.

No Clif, with S3d you slice on the pc and upload to octoprint and print. If you want to try a new slicer try the Prusa slicer which is slic3r under full development by Prusa and is free. I still use S3D but an older version as they really screwed up the software in recently releases. It is also fairly clear after using S3d for several year and then trying Prusa, S3D was just Slic3r to start..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by airscapes

No Clif, with S3d you slice on the pc and upload to octoprint and print.
If you want to try a new slicer try the Prusa slicer which is slic3r under full development by Prusa and is free.

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Thank You much.
Though I have already tried many slicers, including Prusa slicer.

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Actually it seems the main issue with simplify 4.1 was my version of windows.
Necessity has forced me to start using windows 10 - the hardware I'm currently building machines from for clients, just won't run under 7 - no way no how.
Amd socket am4 boards and cpus have to not only have 10 but the latest version with all updates as well.
After that - holy cow are the machines impressive !
The entry level 200ge £45 chip is significantly faster than the previous generation intel I7s.
Well all the ones I've benchmarked anway. The ddr4 ram helps, but because amd have put almost everything on the processor itself - rather than on the motherboard chipset. Stuff just works ridiculously fast.
It also means that future hardware improvement support, can be incorporated on the cpu's - meaning the motherboards have a much longer working life than previous chipsets.
Having to tell someone that their 2 year old machine needed a total rebuild, because the hardware was no longer available, when something failed - has always been an annoyance in my line of work.

So I'm using windows 10 pro now (add classic shell and Windows Update Blocker and it's actually pretty good) for all new builds and my new workshop machine - and the latest simplify3d (4.1x - no clue what the x is)) works every bit as well as 4.0.
No crashes or lockups, retains settings between usage etc.
Maybe it was the 32bit software I was using before - no idea.
But it's definitely running as well as 4.0 on windows 7

There is a way to deploy sliced files over a network connection with simplify3d - I've never used it, but definitely seen it mentioned somewhere :-)
I just use sd cards.

I guess to a certain extent, the best slicer is the one you're used to.
I went from makerbot desktop to simplify3d (version 2) (which was half the cost it is now) and have been using it almost exclusively for the last 6 years.
I was lucky - I had a hands on demo from the 3DP guys, at one of the early tct shows. back when the people who showed up at tct were the people who actually started and ran the companies. Only 5 years ago !
This is a ridiculously fast moving industry.
These days all the booths are manned with either minions or locally hired staff who have no clue about anything.

I've never got simplify3d to work with dual extrusion - so for that I use flashprint on my klic-n-print.
But I think that's more my problem than theirs. Pretty much the only thing makerware made easy was the dual extrusion. And flashprint is even easier.
My biggest issue with flashprint is that it doesn't allow you to add any custom start/end gcode.

slic3r has always looked quite good. And bundled in with repetier it gives you printer control as well which cura and prusa don't.

I guess they all have their own plusses and minuses.
Most of the newer ones just seem a little too simplistic to me.

Have setup PrusaSlicer - Slic3r quite some time ago using Cura Settings below, well today I am printing the first Model.

Decided to test PrusaSlicer today as nothing else to do. My workload has dropped to the point of only working 2 days a week.
Sure am glad I decided to Retire 6 months early or would be as broke as a Church Mouse.

Today I am 3D Printing some Marvel mask ear supports protectors Using the Newest PrusaSlicer -Slic3r 2.3.0.
It started somewhat slower than Cura 15.04.6 will need to change some settings, though it is 3D Printing the Marvel Ear Supports