First Print Prusa I3v 12" Hexagon....

[dunginhawk]

Good evening... So i just received my kit yesterday and have been working on it off and on between NCAA hoops (go hawkeyes) and kids etc.
Tonight, as I was finally homing my axis's I realized too late that the Bed thermistor wire was caught under the frame and it tore the thermistor wire out of the glass piece... So i have another on order...

With that said, I printed off the following cube... For a first print, without a heated bed, or a layer fan, I think its OK. Its not as smooth as I hope to get it. I can run my fingernails across the layers and feel the grind...

THis being my first prusa kit, what is my likely fix? I know a layer fan will help some, but not all of this will be resolved by a layer fan. I really want to get this thing dialed in.

thanks

[dunginhawk]

Here is my second print, which is a knob for the LCD.... Printed this one in .1mm layers... The above is .2

This turned out quite a bit better...

[Chadd]

At .2 layer height that is about as good as it gets imo.

[dunginhawk]

If I can't fine tune it better than that it may be a short lived purchase. Just has to be slop in here causing it somewhere.

[swirvbox]

I hope not. I get much better looking prints at 0.2mm on my Mendel90. Still struggling to get as good looking prints with the new i3v. I have not lost hope however. From what this thing is made out of, it should just do better. I think I may be spoiled rotten by the E3D hot end on my Mendel90 though. Sure makes some pretty prints.

I have made some mods and improved print quality some. But the layers don't seem to be consistent. Still trying to dial it in, but I may chasing gremlins. I consider 0.2mm low quality(strong-fast prints), 0.1mm normal quality(slower prettier thing-a-ma-bobs), 0.05 Super-Duper quality(not tested on our i3v, yet).

[dunginhawk]

thats the same way i think swirvbox... Although I have some amazing quality at .1 on my FFCP... I dont mind running .1 - .15 for decent quality prints, i just dont think the quality above is worth a hoot.. its good for the first print, but thats about it.
im printing a spiral vase now, we will see how that turns out.
I think a layer fan will help a great deal with PLA.