Beginner problem (I think)

[Elektron8]

Hello,

I am semi-new to 3D-printing.
When I first got my printer, a Flashforge Creator I had no problems printing whatsoever.
Now, after a few months of pause, when I am printing flat surfaces, the strands tend to
break and curl up to small lumps so that the print nozzle bumps into them. I hope I make sense,
let me know if I should attach a picture. I am printing ABS at 240 deg, feedrate 40 mm/s.
First layer looks like crap but sometimes I can get away with it just let the printer go on.
Other times it messes up the whole print.
These values worked good before, as far as I can remember. I have tried going down in
temp and also up/ down in feedrate but the problem persists. Does anyone know why
I am getting this problem? Thanks.

[Thugorp]

First thing first. Hi.

O.k. yes, this does make sence, The fisrt thing I would ask is did you change filliments? Each and every filliment spool you use(unless you have two of the exact same color of the exact same matirial from the exact same factory... usually) will need slightly... or sugnificantly different settings. Second it would be helpful to know what printer you are using. I have simmilar problems with my thing-o-matic. I also have seen simmilar things with my other printers. You might be surprised to hear that increasing the temp on both the bed and hot end can help. However, until you post what sort of printer you have I can't garonty my advice is the best.

[Mjolinor]

He posted what printer he had in his first post.

Try raising your bed slightly higher and slow your first layer right down, 10 mm/s.

What are you using on the bed to help it stick? Hair spray is good for me, different people use different things and swear by them but you have to try them all and decide yourself.

Lower the temperature to 225 as a good middle ground for experimenting, 240 is top side and does reduce extruder life.

[Thugorp]

That is ture, You are printing ABS right? I personally have had perfect results with purple glue stick, but I have found that when added to a heated bed blue panters tape works almost as well, for both pla and abs.

[Elektron8]

Thanks for your advice guys. I got it sorted now, finally. Stupid thing is I am not really sure what was wrong in the first place. I did a reset of the settings and now it prints beautifully again . I also took off one of the print heads. It was another problem I had - that one of the extruder nozzles was touching the print and was messing up things. Very hard to align them perfectly. I never print with two different filaments anyway. I saved the second head a spare part. Regarding what I use to make the parts stick: I just pour some aceton on the bed (I have cut a piece of glass that I use on the bed) and then I rub some failed print on. It creates a thin layer of ABS and everything sticks perfectly to it. Quick and easy.

[Thugorp]

Ya that is called the Slurry meathod. It takes more cleaning then I like, and I haven't found it to work much better than tape, but 3D Printing is very ideosincratic so if you have found something that works for you stick with it.

[Elektron8]

if you have found something that works for you stick with it.

No pun intended, right?