Can someone help me out with my prints

[brota]

Hello I am new here, I have a new powerspec 3d pro.
I am using the makerbot software and ReplicatorG for creating Gcode.
As an example I have tried making an Iphone case with Raft. With the replicatorg raft it finished pretty good but the raft material will not come off easily.
When I try without the raft I sometimes get some blobs and blobs and strings grab material that is printed and I have to cancel the jobs.
When I use the makerbot software the raft does not lay down well at all and I end up canceling see the attachments.

I think I have the tip pretty well a business card gap.
I have the machine level and the table level with a bubble level.
I am using PLA
220C extruder
60C bed

Would I be better off getting some glass to print on?

Thank you
Brian

[Geoff]

Easy fix..

1. Business Card gap is too thick, use a piece of paper instead
2. increase your hotbed temperature by 5 degrees.
3. Put masking tape or 3M blue painters tape on the hotbed. or similar to make it stick much better.

[brota]

thank you I will give some of those a try.
Brian

[incomenet]

Definitely use regular paper instead of card. Use Blue painters tape or glass and get some purple glue stick for problem prints. I have found my thinking is always backwards about bed temp. My best luck right now with PLA is 35 or 40 degrees on the bed. All the PLA I have used recently prints at 223 degrees and doesn't like higher or lower. I almost never use a raft unless its a very small part.

Also using Powerspec 3d pro.

[brota]

I am going to get some glass today and use some blue tape. As of right now it does not stick to the stock bed at all it just balls up. I have wiped it down with rubbing alcohol.
It is also running in my office which is in my basement. It is a little cool like 65 degrees. I wonder if that is causing some issues.
I do not have the top on yet either.

[curious aardvark]

blue tape - bed doesn't need to be heated. These days I just don't heat the bed with pla, flexible filaments, wood filaments, or any other fancy pla based filament.
And calibrate with 90gsm paper.
duck brand blue painters tape. No it's not cheap, but I'm still on my first roll after 8 plus months.
Got 2 spares for christmas anyway :-)

Works 100% of the time for me :-)

One advantage of not heating the bed is that it stays calibrated for weeks at a time.
That and aftre a bit you can tell when it's a bit off and a slight twiddle of the calibration knobs puts it right. Genuinely haven't run a calibration sequence for about a month.

[brota]

how thick is that paper? I am going to get a metal feeler gauge but I want the proper thickness

Thank you

[curious aardvark]

paper is sold by weight. so 90gsm is paper that weighs 90 grams per square metre.it should be on the packet. standard copier/printer paper is usually 80gsm

[jfkansas]

how thick is that paper? I am going to get a metal feeler gauge but I want the proper thickness

Thank you

You are better off with paper. The rough surface of the paper helps to "feel" the amount of resistance. I have tried a .1mm piece of shim stock and couldn't quite get the feeling the way I wanted. Also I really don't want metal up against a softer brass nozzle.

[3Dog]

I am new to printing as well but in the few days I have been learning I learned a few things.

1. Blue painters tape is AMAZING for getting PLA to stick. Use it. Cover the whole bed evenly, no bubbles and no overlaps. THEN RELEVEL THE BED WITH PAPER.

2. I found that slowing down feed and travel speeds helped to produce higher quality prints and minimize stuck supports/rafts.

3. Using zero heat on the print bed for PLA is best. I think default on my printer bed is 35C which is basically off.

4. I print my PLA at 210C which seems to work great.

Try changing various settings in small increments. It's all trial and error. Make sure to WRITE down what settings you try and whether or not they produce good prints. This way you can refer back and know what works. Hope that helps.