Nozzle "Leaks" When Moving Between Multiple Pieces on Single Layer + Calib. Question

I also have another question regarding calibration that I couldn't fit in the title. Are the firmware and Slic3r settings calibrated "out-of-the-box" when kits are purchased from Makerfarm? Or should I go through a calibration guide such as http://reprap.org/wiki/Triffid_Hunte...ibration_Guide ?

On to the thread topic, I notice that when I print parts that have multiple pieces on the bed in a single layer (e.g. the bridge test shown below, 4 equally spaced and equally sized small pieces, etc.), the filament drips/leaks out of the nozzle when it moves to the next piece and causes blobs to grow on the sides of the print. I've been printing with ABS, 250C hot end temperature.

Notice the inside corners of the 2 columns:
http://i.imgur.com/p48f9Z8.jpg?1

The worse of the 2 columns:
http://i.imgur.com/osMsftl.jpg?1

The other side of the worse of the 2 columns:
http://i.imgur.com/FLgHxgw.jpg?1

Is the filament too hot? That's really my only idea. I tried searching on this forum and elsewhere online, but I'm honestly not sure what exactly to search for so I couldn't really find anything.

I'm still trying to learn the ins and outs of the hardware and software, so any help is appreciated!

You should definitely tweak your settings, all of them. Just don't expect the ones that ship with your printer to be perfect. There are subtle variations in hardware and one calibration will not suit all printers, even the same brand and configuration.

As for the blobs, try reducing the print temp. I print ABS on my Makerfarm at 225C routinely and get pretty clean print sides. It took me weeks to get settings that were good. Tweak, print, tweak, print, tweak, print, success.... See the pattern? Keep good notes and it will make your life better. I mark prints with a sharpie and save the configuration settings in separate files named the same way until I get it tuned in. Then I compare and know what I'm looking at.

Keep tweaking, you'll get it...

Check out this thread: http://3dprintboard.com/showthread.p...-reduce-oozing

You need to adjust your retraction settings in Slic3r. That will pull the filament out of the nozzle a little bit to prevent these "leaks", or what we call "oozing".

Thanks for the awesome replies RobH2 and AbuMaia, i really appreciate the help. Just reducing the temperature has eliminated a bunch of the oozing (and it's good to know what the phenomenon is refereed to among the community, it will make searching easier).

Gonna add in the retraction adjustments and play with that. Should I "Lift Z" in addition to retraction? Or use only one or the other?

I use the Lift Z together with retraction. It does slow down prints a little bit, but there's less chance of the nozzle hitting a warped part of the print and either jamming an axis and printing in the wrong place, or knocking the whole print off the printbed.

Lifting does help with the oozing. It breaks the strands and they aren;t that hard to remove. I use a .2mm retraction in Slic3r

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbuMaia

I use the Lift Z together with retraction. It does slow down prints a little bit, but there's less chance of the nozzle hitting a warped part of the print and either jamming an axis and printing in the wrong place, or knocking the whole print off the printbed.

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I'm going to give this a try, I've had some issues with pieces getting knocked off the bed, it rarely happens when I'm looking so I'm not sure if the parts are popping off the bed or getting knocked off or what.

Hey jumi1174,

Check out this calibration thread for some beginning calibration procedures. Specifically Calibrations 1 and 2 (see bold text)

http://3dprintboard.com/showthread.p...nd-Proportions