Strange issue on outside one one side and only vertically

Never seen this before. Using PLA. I have been experimenting some lately w/ increasing the speed and layer height. Also using a different filament. I recently went from my normal .22mm to .28 and also from 50mm/s for print speed, 45mm/sec for outside perimeter and 50mm/sec for infill to 60/60/100 mm/sec. I cannot see it being perimeter speed given the rest of it is perfect. Given it's only in one spot makes me feel something is weird w/ the printer all the sudden just when the printhead is right at that location, not so much print speed/filament Is there a name for this imperfection so perhaps I can do a bit more research on my own also?

Dave

So as an update I print3ed another similar box w/ the same settings I've been using for 5+ years problem free and the same issue happened. Oddly (as you'll see in the attached pic) there was about 1" of vertical print that was perfect? It only happens on one side in this one area. Anyone have any input? I also had printed something about the same circumference as this in a different filament the day before and it was fine. Granted it was only a 2mm shell but same circumference which may be the issue here. I just printed a small 20mm calibration cube to see if it would do it there and it did not. I feel it may be a retraction issue at larger distances and it didn't do it w/ the 2mm shell print because it just kept going around and wasn't having to retract and travel a great distance. Not sure though, I'd have to go through the G code to see how it starts next layer. Even if that was it though, why would i have a good 20 or so layers w/ NO defect as shown in pic?

going on the slow speeds - are you using an ender 3 by any chance ?

As far as I can tell from the extremely confusing 'which way up' explanation - your bed is possibly not level.

And the new filament could be causing excess friction in the bowden tube.

So can you tell us what the printer is and which direction the printer is actually building.

Any decent printer should be able to run at 0.3 layer at 50mm/s.

Thanks for the reply. Nope, a maker select v2. She's been a reliable workhorse for a long time. My bed is perfectly level and as you can see the issue goes away for a good inch at one point and then comes back. if it was a friction issue why would the issue be so consistent to only that face and nowhere else? From what I can feel the filament has no friction issues as I have a teflon tube and guide below the reel (Which sits on ball bearings) that keeps everything nice and free. And then go away for about 20 layers and then come back? I've never had issues like this at any layer height/speed I only mentioned this because it was a change I had made recently for testing but switched back to the speed it always worked best at and the issue persisted. As far as the imperfection location, if you look at the imperfect side that would the right side of the print when looking at the printer.

Could the filament be jamming when the bowden tube is bent at one extreme of the x travel of the extruder head ?

I have a ball design in my filament feed that shouldn't allow any binding at all. I did go out there and check but I see no binding. With that said I'd think the higher up it'd print the more binding there would be if there was any. But there are a good 20+ layers up top where it's flawless before getting bad again.Dave

Ah right - makerselect.
Okay so proper prusa design i3.
Nice machines.

It's a Direct drive gambo.
So not a tube issue.

Have you checked the grubscrews on the extruder drive gear ?

I still can't visualise the object. But normal bit in the middle is weird no matter the orientation.

Are we looking at the base ?
Or a vertical wall ?

The imperfection is on the right vertical wall. I did change the orientation for the second block to see if it would change anything (Printed the long end facing up instead of flat) and it didn't make much of a difference aside from that one little perfect area about 3/4 way up. Not to say that may not have happened on the other print at some point also though.

I'll check all set screws but given the fact it only happens on one face makes me feel it's not a loose set screw as it wouldn't be so consistent to only one face. I also ensured the slide rods were clean.


Dave

can you upload the stl ?
And what slicer are you using ?

It could simply be either a flaw in the actul model or in the slicing.
Also have you either tried a new sd card or done a full format on the existing one ?

It's looking more and more like an issue with the model itself.

Which could be the actual original stl, the card or the slicer.

Also check all the wiring. It's unlikely a looses or broken wire would be that precise to produce that perfect section. But it never hurts to check.

But if you upload the stl I can have a look and run it through simplify3d and see if anything obvious happens.

It's two separate stl files that did this. Both were larger boxes.. I don't use the SD card, i use repetier server/host which sends data directly. I use the repetier host embedded cura slicer. Not to say it's not the slicer but i've never had any issue like this before w/ this slice. Here is one of the STSs, it's literally a box. I will double check the wiring as it can't hurt but if it was that it'd be pretty impressive that it occurred on onlly one side.

Tried it in Ideamaker, preview after slicing won't work, it just keeps trying to preview it in a loop, tried it in BCN3d slicer and it sliced but nothing obvious in the preview

try printing off the sdcard.
It's the besy way for any print over about 10 minutes anyway.

What operating system are you using ?

(looks at file)
that's a solid cube with a few holes in it.
Not a box.
Is it supposed to be solid ?

If you print it with 0% infill, the tube bts won't print without supports.

That's one weird thing :-)

Win 10 but the server is running on a PI. I've never had an issue before and it buffers and checks all data so I cannot see that being the issue. I've printed quite few large items and never had this. i cannot see it being a data or buffer issue given it happens on the exact same side every time. The defect is nearly identical layer to layer also. Yes it's solid. It's one of 4 quadrants of a dead pedal I made for my RV. I use 20% infill and use supports usually. This one I did not but no issues w/ any of the holes. I didn't care as they were getting drilled/tapped anyway.Dave

well if you already know what it's not - why ask ?

Have you tried printing the file a lot smaller ? say 25%
That way you should be able to rule out the file and usb connection.

Also we know you haven't had this problem before.
So saying 'it can't be that, i've never had this problem before' - without testing it doesn't help any of us.

Trouble shooting is a tedious process that involves ruling things out one at a time.
It's entire;y up to you whether you do it or not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by curious aardvark

well if you already know what it's not - why ask ?

Have you tried printing the file a lot smaller ? say 25%
That way you should be able to rule out the file and usb connection.

Also we know you haven't had this problem before.
So saying 'it can't be that, i've never had this problem before' - without testing it doesn't help any of us.

Trouble shooting is a tedious process that involves ruling things out one at a time.
It's entire;y up to you whether you do it or not.

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You make a very valid point. I guess the issue with making these changes and reprinting is that the print was a 17 hour print so it's not really feasible to make a change and reprint this particular job. Given the issue was starting at layer one what I will try it to print only about 20 layers of the existing job but at 1/2 scale. That'll be a 25 min. print that hopefully tells me something. If it doesn't do it at that size then i'll go up in scale to see at what scale I do end up getting the defect. I know when I printed that calibration square as a test the other day it came out perfect, although that was a fraction of the size. I guess my question would be, if I reduce the print size does that really tell us much? If it goes away by reducing size that couldn't that just be due to less distance the nozzle has to travel and therefore perhaps less time for retraction if it's in fact an excessive retraction issue?

Apologies if I ticked anyone off.

Dave

So i did check tightness of all drive components, belt, etc. and all was well. I did clean the rods just for the sake of it. I reprinted the bottom 25mm at 50% scale and at 100% scale and it did it again but not nearly as bad as the last time. I have a closeup of the problem side. Both images are the same side, one is the front half of the right side of cube and the second is the second half. The second half is perfect as you can see. Maybe this closeup will give someone a bit more to go on? I'm going to try to use the SD card to print another one a bit later and see what I get per suggestion. Does this close up give you guys any more info by chance?ThanksDave

Any other thoughts