Help! noob in over his head with new ("used") Tenlog TL-D3-pro setup :-(

[minneapolis-matt]

first I tried opening the profile as a text file and copying here. it looks incomplete though.

PK ! `3žëÎ Î  tl-d3pro_tl-d3_pro[general]
version = 4
name = TL-D3 Pro
definition = fdmprinter


[metadata]
quality_type = draft
setting_version = 16
type = quality_changes


[values]
material_bed_temperature = 45
retraction_combing = all


PK ! ’“”»œ
œ
 tl_dual_0_tl-d3_pro[general]
version = 4
name = TL-D3 Pro
definition = fdmprinter


[metadata]
quality_type = draft
setting_version = 16
intent_category = default
type = quality_changes
position = 0


[values]
material_print_temperature = 200
retract_at_layer_change = True
retraction_amount = 3
skin_overlap = 20.0
speed_travel = 60.0
support_angle = 70
support_infill_rate = 30
support_xy_distance = 0.2
support_z_distance = 0.15


PK ! ¤`
`
 tl_dual_1_tl-d3_pro[general]
version = 4
name = TL-D3 Pro
definition = fdmprinter


[metadata]
quality_type = draft
setting_version = 16
intent_category = default
type = quality_changes
position = 1


[values]
infill_sparse_density = 50
material_print_temperature = 200
material_standby_temperature = 190.0
retraction_speed = 60.0
speed_travel = 60.0
wall_thickness = 0.8


PK
  ! `3žëÎ Î  tl-d3pro_tl-d3_proPK
  ! ’“”»œ
œ
 þ tl_dual_0_tl-d3_proPK
  ! ¤`
`
 Ë tl_dual_1_tl-d3_proPK   Â \

[minneapolis-matt]

this is all that was identifiable from the print attempt as far as photographable remains

[Martin_au]

"material_bed_temperature = 45" - Is that correct? I thought you were using 60ºC?

[Martin_au]

Thanks for the photos. Very useful. I've marked up a few things to look at that may give a hint as to what's the main problems might be.
First photo of the raft - seeing lots of missing lines and gaps. This suggests that you're only just lightly sitting on the bed. Go closer (at a guess about 0.05 - 0.1mm), until that first layer is "smooshing" down onto the bed.

In the second photo of the top of the print, you can see some edge lifting at least on the white parts. This is likely what the nozzle ran into and popped the print off the bed. This is because PLA needs to be cooled rapidly when doing shallow overhangs, or it tends to pull upwards into the corners. To resolve this slow the print down, and make sure the print cooling fan is running. Give the filament a chance to cool down.

[minneapolis-matt]

"material_bed_temperature = 45" - Is that correct? I thought you were using 60ºC?

perhaps my modifications are not being properly saved to the profile? I got the file dump by using Cura's export profile and opening with a text editor. I remember that the original Tenlog profile I downloaded and used as a template had a bed temperature of 45 degrees and I didn't like that so I directly edited that and a few other parameters, such as raft thickness before slicing, saving and printing.

I wish I knew how to directly export the parameters used as a profile and share them in forums like these.

[minneapolis-matt]

Thanks for the photos. Very useful. I've marked up a few things to look at that may give a hint as to what's the main problems might be.
First photo of the raft - seeing lots of missing lines and gaps. This suggests that you're only just lightly sitting on the bed. Go closer (at a guess about 0.05 - 0.1mm), until that first layer is "smooshing" down onto the bed.

In the second photo of the top of the print, you can see some edge lifting at least on the white parts. This is likely what the nozzle ran into and popped the print off the bed. This is because PLA needs to be cooled rapidly when doing shallow overhangs, or it tends to pull upwards into the corners. To resolve this slow the print down, and make sure the print cooling fan is running. Give the filament a chance to cool down.

Thanks!

I thought about running a print tonight but I think I need to ruminate about what you said and see if offline and during downtime at work (of which there is a lot on the weekend) I can somehow put together a good profile modification or at least a list of specific modifications to the existing profile and make sure the next attempt has much better odds of success.

[minneapolis-matt]

While we're troubleshooting, spend a few minutes printing this and see what your results are. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1622868

I'd print this if I could spare the time not just for the print but to follow up on any adhesion issues but I almost forgot to plan for it. I'll try to squeeze it in tomorrow.

[Martin_au]

perhaps my modifications are not being properly saved to the profile? I got the file dump by using Cura's export profile and opening with a text editor. I remember that the original Tenlog profile I downloaded and used as a template had a bed temperature of 45 degrees and I didn't like that so I directly edited that and a few other parameters, such as raft thickness before slicing, saving and printing.I wish I knew how to directly export the parameters used as a profile and share them in forums like these.

Just use screen grabs. Much easier.
If you open up a generated gcode file in a text editor it may contain all the settings as well. I know PrusaSlicer does that. Can't remember whether Cura does.

[minneapolis-matt]

against my better judgement last night I whittled away a few minutes of my 6 hours of work night sleep to fire up the slicer, find and install from marketplace the Z-offset plugin to cura and set offset for both extruders to the gcode equivalent of 0.1. The in-Cura description says that in cura a negative z-offset will increase adhesion and decrease space for initial layer even though my understanding is that a negative z-offset in gcode would actually increase the gap and decrease adhesion. I added a brim and didn't change the brim settings that cura offered and started the Fast edge over/under extrusion test with to copies in mirror mode so i could check both extruders.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1622868

I needed to get to bed after only getting 4 hours of sleep the night before so a few minutes later i checked one last time before going to bed and found that both of the extruder 1 prints had displaced very early in the print and failed and extruder 2 had completed without apparent issue. I think both extruders had the same slicer settings but E2 gets independently raised or lowered during levelling so there is room for difference between the two.

[curious aardvark]

the real problem is two fold:

1) cura - it's just a nightmare to use.
2) profiles.

print profiles are generally not worth the bits-n-bytes they're composed of.

They are made by someone who is not using your printer, in your house, with the material you are using, in the climatic conditions you have.
And who's idea of a good print may vary widely from your own.

There is NO substitute for learning what your slicer does and how to set every damn setting yourself.

the slicer is the single most important component of the printer-filament-slicer trilogy.

You need to know what speed things are running at.

100mm/s for an i3 with linear rails - is medium speed. that's not the issue.
The speed of the first print layer, in comparison to the main print speed is VERY important.
It needs to be sloooww.
It's not unusual for half the total print time for a smallish print to be just the first layer.
Once that's down you can speed right up.
There are exceptions.
Flexible filament are super sticky so you can run the first layer at the same speed as all the other layers (which is generally 40mm/s max)

The most important layer of any print is the first one.
If it goes down tight and flat - then the rest of the print will usually follow without issue.

So you need to understand the slicer parameters that effect it and how to change them.

And if you need glue to get that first layer down - then you us eglue !

hell over the years I';ve used everything from blue painters tape, abs slurry to pva glue sticks to 3 different types of print glue.
On everything from bare metal to glass to printbite to pei.
I even bought some hairspray - and then gave up entirely on abs and never used it - it's still around somewhere.

Commercial printglues are brilliant.
They look expensive. But A small bottle with a sponge tip applicator can last for many years. One reason i like PEI is that the print glue's seem to just enhance it's natural properties.

It's good with out glue - it's damn near miraculous with the occasional layer of glue.

When i first started my flashforge creator came with a pre-applied sheet of kapton.
I never managed to get anythign to stick to it - ever.
I've got a 50mm roll of the bloody stugff that I;ve had for over 8 years.

I think it took me a couple weeks before I ever got decent print.
It did not help that there were no decent slicers around at the time that could handle x3g files.
Makerbot desktop is hands down the worst slicer ever.

So by comparison you have it easy :-)

A print surface that might work with the right settings and a selection of slicers rthat will all talk to your printer.

You just need to download a bunch of slicers and have a play with them all and then learn to use the one that makes most sense to you.