New 12" user and I am LOST!

[tsteever]

Thanks! I will send you my email.

[Chadd]

Sent you some files.

Thanks! I will send you my email.

[tsteever]

Thanks Chadd for the files. Been printing these parts left and right getting things dialed in. I think I am getting closer. I sent you this pic but I figured I would also post here.

The One thing I am finding is the balance of flow rate is tough! Should I be adjust the filament diameter and the multiplier? I have been doing both but it seems like they would both do the same thing and I am fighting myself. To set the multiplier I was printing a single walled box with a perimeter width of .6. I measured the result vs the called for .6 and did my adjustments there. I also measured the filament in multiple spots to get the diameter.

I have calibrated the steps on the extruder so that 50mm setting actually extrudes 50mm of filament. It seems like if I lower the filament diameter (material going into the machine) and lower the multiplier I am telling the machine to extrude less material twice.

I have successfully gotten my bed to correctly zero out on the z axis and have even begun to play with the ABL a bit. I am not happy with how the bottom layers are turning out in Slic3r and Cura seems to over squish. Both have similar settings as far as initial layer height is concerned.

I also tried to print a cube and the top layer had holes in it. This was printed with Cura. It was a misprint as I intended to print solid and forgot to change the infill. I figured I would jest let it run to see how it did. Not good as you can see.



Slic3r Bottom Layer. Stuck good, just has voids between extrusions.



Cura bottom layer. Similar settings, good squish. Chad suspects too squished. Lower the width or raise the initial later height perhaps? Ignore the funny lines, just marks from my glue stick.


Cura Print. Had a .8mm top and botom llayer height which I think wasn't enough with that level of infill.


Sold box test. From the look of it, I need to raise my extrusion multiplier.

[Chadd]

I just leave the diameter set to nominal and adjust the flow rate multiplier for each roll of filament I use. So when I start a new roll I print the calibration cube at 100% infill and adjust the multiplier so that it has a flat top. Then I either make a profile for that roll or just write on the roll what the multiplier should be for that roll. For me it seems to work better that way.

Thanks Chadd for the files. Been printing these parts left and right getting things dialed in. I think I am getting closer. I sent you this pic but I figured I would also post here.

The One thing I am finding is the balance of flow rate is tough! Should I be adjust the filament diameter and the multiplier? I have been doing both but it seems like they would both do the same thing and I am fighting myself. To set the multiplier I was printing a single walled box with a perimeter width of .6. I measured the result vs the called for .6 and did my adjustments there. I also measured the filament in multiple spots to get the diameter.

I have calibrated the steps on the extruder so that 50mm setting actually extrudes 50mm of filament. It seems like if I lower the filament diameter (material going into the machine) and lower the multiplier I am telling the machine to extrude less material twice.

I have successfully gotten my bed to correctly zero out on the z axis and have even begun to play with the ABL a bit. I am not happy with how the bottom layers are turning out in Slic3r and Cura seems to over squish. Both have similar settings as far as initial layer height is concerned.

I also tried to print a cube and the top layer had holes in it. This was printed with Cura. It was a misprint as I intended to print solid and forgot to change the infill. I figured I would jest let it run to see how it did. Not good as you can see.



Slic3r Bottom Layer. Stuck good, just has voids between extrusions.



Cura bottom layer. Similar settings, good squish. Chad suspects too squished. Lower the width or raise the initial later height perhaps? Ignore the funny lines, just marks from my glue stick.


Cura Print. Had a .8mm top and botom llayer height which I think wasn't enough with that level of infill.


Sold box test. From the look of it, I need to raise my extrusion multiplier.

[tsteever]

Another common suggestion I get is that my print settings are too hot. Not sure how people can tell this (Shiny parts). I am printing the above at 215 degrees. Not sure as that seems low to me. I did shoot it with a non contact thermometer and it read low. Significantly lower than 214. I know this is a surface temp and not an internal temp but if I were printing too high I would think the external temp would have been hotter than 180.

Has anyone else temped their hotends? It would be nice to have something to compare it to. My thought is that the black from Colin is just a shiny material. What are some other brands to try out?

[Chadd]

I may be going about it wrong but in the short time I have been printing the best indicator of temp is to print something that is thin wall with no infill 1-2 layers thick then break it and check for layer adhesion. It shouldn't just break clean when you pull it apart. I have to print ABS @245 to 250 to get good layer adhesion, I have tried all the way down to like 225. A good part to test this on would be the clips for the corner of the bed that I sent you, if they are too cold they will split apart when you try to clip them on the corners of your bed. Here is where I got the STL file for those

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:575489/#files

The gcode I sent you was for four of the small radius clips and I believe I had to run them at 250° for good adhesion. I also included the STL file for it.

Another common suggestion I get is that my print settings are too hot. Not sure how people can tell this (Shiny parts). I am printing the above at 215 degrees. Not sure as that seems low to me. I did shoot it with a non contact thermometer and it read low. Significantly lower than 214. I know this is a surface temp and not an internal temp but if I were printing too high I would think the external temp would have been hotter than 180.

Has anyone else temped their hotends? It would be nice to have something to compare it to. My thought is that the black from Colin is just a shiny material. What are some other brands to try out?

[tsteever]

Getting closer. I printed the box and the top is "fuller" but oddly not flat. It is within about .1 or so. Not sure what causes it. My inexperience says perhaps part of the print cooling weird. Maybe the auto bed level is goofy? I'm gonna put the non ABL firmware on and reprint to see if it changes things.

Here re is the print. What do you think? Top layer on the most recent Slic3r is much improved.

Top layer is much better


Not perfectly flat


Kinda bulges in parts and sags in others.

[Chadd]

That looks quite a bit better than what you had before.

Getting closer. I printed the box and the top is "fuller" but oddly not flat. It is within about .1 or so. Not sure what causes it. My inexperience says perhaps part of the print cooling weird. Maybe the auto bed level is goofy? I'm gonna put the non ABL firmware on and reprint to see if it changes things.

Here re is the print. What do you think? Top layer on the most recent Slic3r is much improved.
\Top layer is much better


Not perfectly flat


Kinda bulges in parts and sags in others.

[pichuete]

I suggest that you check the following things to see if it improves your prints.

1) reduce the infill perimeter overlap a bit.
2) make a thin wall calibration assuming you did your e-steps already fine tune your extrusion adjusting the extrution multiplier.
3) maker sure your filament is rolling smoothly. ( the provided stock spool holder is awful).

4) try to level you bed as good as you can even though you have abl. You can use G29 n3 T V4 to see your bed topography if you are using the enhanced version.

Also I noticed that your corners are curling up its seams that you are probably a extruding a bit to hot. In my case I have noticed that I need to lower the temp a bit for black abs. (235c)

You are in the right direction at this point little changes will get you there.

I have 2 month with My printer and I'm still playing with the settings. .... I'm still not satisfied with the quality.

[tsteever]

Thanks all, yes it is getting there. I did do the single wall calibration and e steps setting. I have lowered the temp even more. At this point I am doubting the thermister calibration as I am at 200 and still curling the edges and getting ooze.

Does it help to print the external perimeters first?

how hard is it to upgrade to the enhanced version? I really want to do that but haven't a clue what is involved.