monoprice ultimate gaping in some prints

[asteeves91]

Hello fellow printers, so I got my 3D printer a few weeks ago. I printed all of the test models and some stress test models too and they turned out just fine. I started with cura but moved too ideamaker for the cutting function because I was attempting to print the ship Probe from eve online and no configuration would print the top solar fin. It printed ok, there were a few spots with some failed bridging on the hull but passable for me. I printed at .08 resolution, 2 layer outer layer, 20% infill, 200C nozzle temp ang 50C bed temp at stock speed which I think was 50mm/sec. Then I tried to print the starship voyager and it came out a litle rough with a bunch of failed bridging with the same settings as the previous one. All this was with the PLA that came with my printer so I went and got some black Hatchbox PLA and changed settings to .06 resolution, 4 layer outer layer, 30% infill, 200C nozzle temp, 50C bed temp and reduced the speed to 30mm/sec. It came out a little smoother (except for the bridge area at the top it was still really rough) and less failed bridging but still enough that I wouldn't use it. This is still with ideamaker as my slicer. The pictures are the first print with the PLA that came with the printer.

[asteeves91]

When I get home I'll upload my second print and the probe print

[curious aardvark]

layer is probably too low.
try 0.16
while most manufacturers claim their machines will print 0.05 - you need really well tuned stepper drivers and a very good extruder to actually make it work.

Here's the thing.
If you print at 0.05 it will take a bloody long time to get anything done.
treble that to 0.16 and of the 20 or 30 hours you save you can spend a couple of minutes with some sandpaper and remove any layer lines.
Or paint it.

The pictures do look like under extrusion, which would fit.
Also most steppers work best with multiples of 8.
So My usual layer heights are: 0.16, 0.24, 0.32 and 0.4

Also when you reduce layer height - remember to increase the number of top and bottom layers.

(looks printer up) lmao - monoprice claim 0.02mm layer capability.
in a sub ?300 printer ? I don't think so.

[asteeves91]

Makes sense. I also figured out that the best resolution is from the z axis instead of the x and y axis so I printed it at a 65 degree angle and it printed a lot better, but as you said it takes longer to print with those settings. Thank you about the top and bottom layers.