printing without raft

[bulldog1]

Any tips on how to raftless print using pla? Im having a problem getting anything to stick without a raft

[warkmal]

Nice and tight z-height when you level the bed.

For some parts with a small footprint, a brim instead of a raft. S3D, Cura and Slic3r all have brim as an option.

[Geoff]

It's not really got anything to do with your settings, it's your bed surface

You are probably printing on Kapton tape, and PLA doesn't like it very much. Go and get some Blue masking tape (they call it painters tape) from your local hardware. Buy the fattest one you can so you don't have to use more than bout 3 strips to cover the bed.

PLA will stick to this like glue, guarantee - yes you can lay it over the top of your kapton tape and remove it when you want to go back to ABS - just adjust your bed SLIGHTLY to compensate for that extra 0.1mm of tape.

Set your Bed to 65c and your Hot End to 208c for PLA on the Flashforge. You need to print slightly hotter because it doesn't have a geared extruder and will slip and 'click click click' if you don't print hot enough.

Some people say 208 is too hot for PLA and try 200... well, try 200 and if it feeds OK, then sure use it - but if you hear that clicking sound, well, try 205. For me, 208 seems to be the magic number for pretty much all the PLA I use.

Print yourself a Cooling duct tho, you will need it. PLA gets lifting edges really bad if you don't have sufficient cooling. Because the FF fan is ABOVE cooling the aluminium block and not the nozzle, your prints get ZERO draft - which is great for ABS... but Baaaad for PLA.

[bulldog1]

I am using the blue pads that flashforge sent with the printer that are supposed to be sticky. I have been printing pla at 215 and 65 for the bed could my extruder be to hot? I ask because of your statement that 208 maybe to hot.

[Geoff]

I am using the blue pads that flashforge sent with the printer that are supposed to be sticky. I have been printing pla at 215 and 65 for the bed could my extruder be to hot? I ask because of your statement that 208 maybe to hot.

I cannot print PLA at 215c! that is really really hot, the hottest ever I would need to go is about 210 - and believe me, with PLA it is a much finer line than ABS between heat settings. ABS has about a 5-6 degree variance usually so, 225c to about 232c.. but with PLA, some will print at 190, some at 200... 205... and as I said, for me 208 on my older flashforge is good, for you you will need to experiment.

Filament is all different as well, what works well with one filament may not necessarily work well with another - even of the same type. PLA seems pretty consistent, but ABS, bright colours extrude at lower temperatures for richer colours. The hotter you go, the more faded they will look. I go ABS colour at 225c and white/black at 230c.

[Grindeddown]

You may also have luck printing with trying really low first layer print speeds at about 20mm/s. Also adjusting the first layer width and height so extra plastic is extruded is an option, but imo this two should be the last settings you try to use to get to work.

Like me the others have said, make sure your using the proper surface (not kapton), try increasing the build plate to 70C, make sure your bed is perfectly level and close enough where your getting some squish.

One thing I have had to do in the past too is to keep some tweezers in hand and just before the nozzle travels to the prints starting point, clip off any ooze or extra filament off the end. Also wipe the nozzle to make sure no crud is on the outside.

[3dex ltd]

^ yes printing with a low first layer speed is always a good idea.

@bulldog1, what happens if you don't use a raft? does the first layer not stick or does it stick for a while and then come unstuck??

[Geoff]

Rafts are good when the piece needs extra stick - it doesn't stick any better than a normal raftless print - it just has more area and stops corners lifting up.

i.e Say you wanted to print a Bowling Pin. You print it standing up. The bottom / base is very small compared to the middle of the bowling pin... so the part that actually sticks to the bed when printing is very small. Adding a raft increases that base layer width and gives your object more stability incase something brushes past it, like the other nozzle.

To print raftless is easy you just need to make sure your bed is really level.

[bulldog1]

A couple of things happen either it doesn't stick at all or it will come up during the first layer.

[bulldog1]

I understand when to use the raft but I cannot get anything to stick without it. I maybe wrong on this but it seems like when the raft is first being printed that first layer is very slow. Above it was said I should slow my first layer down. In the flashprint software I have found how to make it smaller but not slow down just the first layer