Nozzle size vs quality

[grezmel]

Quick question......

Would there be a noticeable difference in final print quality if printing at 0.1mm between using 0.4, 0.35 and 0.3mm nozzles ?

[3dkarma]

You'll get a thinner extrusion width with the smaller nozzle, but it shouldn't make much of a difference to the actual layer height. If you're printing, say, a toothed gear the teeth will have better detail.

[adamfilip]

more likely to get a clog with a smaller nozzle. and your first layer height is shorter. makes it harder to calibrate
I tried running a .25 nozzle but the extra hassle and marginal increase in quality made me switch back to .4mm

[grezmel]

Thanks, was wondering whether to try 0.3 to see how I get on, but don't want to introduce issues.

[LambdaFF]

Actually there's a very interesting analysis done there : http://www.spiderbot.eu/en/blog/why-...mm-nozzle.html

I think what the author means is that a bigger nozzle will handle overhangs better.

[Davo]

Actually there's a very interesting analysis done there : http://www.spiderbot.eu/en/blog/why-...mm-nozzle.html

I think what the author means is that a bigger nozzle will handle overhangs better.

Excellent link, thank you.

Both using a wider (going from .35mm to .5mm) nozzle and using thinner (going from .2mm to .15mm or .1mm) layers improves the quality of unsupported overhangs.

And unless you're doing a very acute taper in the X/Y plane (like some gears), there is only a nominal difference in output.

And the duration of the print is reduced with the wider nozzle, as the article mentions.