New i3V owner: A few beginner questions

[DanSilov]

printbus, thank you for such extensive comparison! I really hope to achieve something similar to the last one you printed, which looks quite solid. Also, thank you for the link to settings blog-post, will definitely help. Maybe you can also share your 1.1.6 config, the one you used for printing last knob?

Yesterday I've printed 4 different 20mm blocks with 100% infill with all kinds of settings, and results are still really bad. I didn't have any problems with adhesion, but that might be because I've flipped the fan again (yesterday I tried to print with the fan blowing air out of hot end). I've increased flow rate, reduced speed settings (pretty randomly, but to much lower values), all to no avail. Below are some results. Bottom of every block looks like the one one picture.

IMG_8020.jpgIMG_8021.jpg

I've even sliced and printed one block using Cura, which is a nice enough tool, but results were still bad (one side of block was 9mm, the other – 10mm).

It looks though I might have some problem with the extruder. I've gone through calibration procedure about 5 times yesterday, and I couldn't get the extruder to reliably extrude 100mm. Before it was underextruding, then after I adjusted E-steps it was overextruding by a lot. Then again underextruding and so on. When I assembled the extruder, it had some issues with guidler fitting correctly, it looked a bit overprinted, so I had to use a knife to take off some plastic. Also, my hobbed bolt doesn't that many teeth as the one on this picture. I managed to print all the parts for the extruder earlier. Although they have the same open mesh on top, they look good enough. I will try to reassemble the extruder with my parts and then run the calibration process to see if I get reliable results this time.

Also, did anyone measure and adjust stepper voltage? I checked my extruder stepper voltage after printer assembly, and it was 0.36v. It doesn't skip and turns quite nicely, so not sure if this might be a problem.