3D Printing help

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by QuesoDelDiablo

have you tried adjusting your Z height down a tiny bit?

9/10 times when a PLA print won't stick I've found that's a first layer height issue.

It’s down all the way.


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[k7zpj]

Originally Posted by ScaleLifeNewbie

It’s down all the way.


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Being too low can cause the print not to stick too. You have to be in the sweet spot between too high and too low.
If your nozzle is too low it causes the edge of the print line to curl on the edges and not stick. That can also scratch your print be.

This is a good model to use to calibrate the z-height of your printer.
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1831902

Another good calibration test is:http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ/5.0....alibration.stl

You will need to scale down the print in your slicer to adjust it to fit your printer's bed size.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by k7zpj

Being too low can cause the print not to stick too. You have to be in the sweet spot between too high and too low.
If your nozzle is too low it causes the edge of the print line to curl on the edges and not stick. That can also scratch your print be.

This is a good model to use to calibrate the z-height of your printer.
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1831902

Another good calibration test is:http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ/5.0....alibration.stl

You will need to scale down the print in your slicer to adjust it to fit your printer's bed size.

Thank you

When my new tube gets here, I’ll definitely be trying this out. Should be here no later than Monday.


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[Stomp]

Hows the printer working?

I have the same printer that I got 2 years ago and it has been a great little printer. Not the highest cost one but it does a good job. Looks like you got yours for a good price too. Think I paid about $290 for mine.

The only problem I have had after printing with over 10,000 feet of filament, is that the extruder head assembly broke. The plastic lever arm gets weak over time. I started having bad problems with layers that were not extruding and tried everything.

One day I saw that the lever was cracked and replaced it with an aluminum one from amazon for only $10. After replacing that it is printing better then ever. I would recommend ordering the replacement and saving yourself the trouble of it breaking down the road.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Stomp]

One more thing. You should consider buying a glass bed for the Ender 3. The stock bed is notoriously not flat. That will cause all sorts of problems on larger prints, because the nozzle will be at different heights as it moves across the bed. After buying a glass bed, it made it so that I could print using the whole surface area of the bed. I could never do that with the stock bed. A tip though if you get the glass bed. The PLA will not stick to it as is. You have to wipe a glue stick over the area you are going to print on then that sucker will stick.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Stomp

Hows the printer working?

I have the same printer that I got 2 years ago and it has been a great little printer. Not the highest cost one but it does a good job. Looks like you got yours for a good price too. Think I paid about $290 for mine.

The only problem I have had after printing with over 10,000 feet of filament, is that the extruder head assembly broke. The plastic lever arm gets weak over time. I started having bad problems with layers that were not extruding and tried everything.

One day I saw that the lever was cracked and replaced it with an aluminum one from amazon for only $10. After replacing that it is printing better then ever. I would recommend ordering the replacement and saving yourself the trouble of it breaking down the road.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the link stomp!

Before I started having problems, it was doing great!

As of mow, I went to print and realized my filament was full of moisture, went to put it in the oven, and oven doesn’t go down enough temp wise. So I bought a dehydrator and it’ll be here Friday, so I can finally start to print.

I have a spool of PETG sitting around I could learn on.

I’ve heard the plastic lever is notorious for having hairline cracks, when I looked I didn’t see one, but there may be one.

I was going to get a glass bed, but I’ve heard that you can’t print PETG on it because it’ll warp even easier.


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[Stomp]

Originally Posted by ScaleLifeNewbie

Thanks for the link stomp!

Before I started having problems, it was doing great!

As of mow, I went to print and realized my filament was full of moisture, went to put it in the oven, and oven doesn’t go down enough temp wise. So I bought a dehydrator and it’ll be here Friday, so I can finally start to print.

I have a spool of PETG sitting around I could learn on.

I’ve heard the plastic lever is notorious for having hairline cracks, when I looked I didn’t see one, but there may be one.

I was going to get a glass bed, but I’ve heard that you can’t print PETG on it because it’ll warp even easier.


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How humid is your house? The PLA should not have absorbed that much moisture in such a short time. I have spools that have sat out for over a year and they still print fine.

I honestly don't know about the PETG. I have always used PLA. I should get some PETG and ABS to mess with one day.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Stomp

How humid is your house? The PLA should not have absorbed that much moisture in such a short time. I have spools that have sat out for over a year and they still print fine.

I honestly don't know about the PETG. I have always used PLA. I should get some PETG and ABS to mess with one day.

Well, I’m in Hawaii so that pretty much answers it lmao.

Plus, it sat next to an open window. Rookie mistakes.


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[Stomp]

Originally Posted by ScaleLifeNewbie

Well, I’m in Hawaii so that pretty much answers it lmao.

Plus, it sat next to an open window. Rookie mistakes.


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You mean it's not a desert there? LOL! Seriously though, I have had PLA that sat out in 70-90% humidity all summer with no ill effects. Seems to get a little more brittle on the spool but has not caused any printing problems.

What problems were you having?

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Stomp

You mean it's not a desert there? LOL! Seriously though, I have had PLA that sat out in 70-90% humidity all summer with no ill effects. Seems to get a little more brittle on the spool but has not caused any printing problems.

What problems were you having?

LMAO! I’m on the North coast of BI and it’s more tropical on this side.

It was popping when getting fed, and it was super brittle. I would bend it and about at a 90° bend it would snap.

The moisture/humidity here sucks. I can’t even have a steel bar sit inside the house for more than 1-2weeks or it’ll rust. And outside is even worse!


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[Stomp]

Originally Posted by ScaleLifeNewbie

LMAO! I’m on the North coast of BI and it’s more tropical on this side.

It was popping when getting fed, and it was super brittle. I would bend it and about at a 90° bend it would snap.

The moisture/humidity here sucks. I can’t even have a steel bar sit inside the house for more than 1-2weeks or it’ll rust. And outside is even worse!


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Not to mention you have a high salt concentration t in the air which probably causes all sorts of problems. I will be interested to see how the dehydrator works out for you. Never thought about that.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Stomp

Not to mention you have a high salt concentration t in the air which probably causes all sorts of problems. I will be interested to see how the dehydrator works out for you. Never thought about that.

Yeah right! Hawaii doesn’t like 3D printing lol.

Dehydrator will be here on Wednesday, so I’ll have an update no later than Thursday depending on how late it gets here.

I was about to buy a dehydrator made for filament for $80, but I seen a food dehydrator that had roughly the same temps and could hold 2 spools instead of just one for $40. Figured it would be fine.


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[Voodoobrew]

you can print PETG on clean glass no problem, pick up a glass picture from from the dollar store and hold it in place with those paper clamp thingamajigs. but the petg sticks the the glass like crazy at about 65-70c so let it cool down and it will separate on its own.

to get pla to stick I used blue painters tape and purple glue sticks. I don't think I used pla since I added the glass bed.

you might also try hair spray to get it to stick.

clean the bed with alcohol.

also the right height is needed, there is defiantly a sweet spot and if you're outside of it the other stuff wont help much.

No Idea how water affects this, I leave my rolls in open air next to the aquarium and never had an issue.

PLA was easiest to get clean prints, PETG can get stringy and doesn't bridge as well. but PETG is a but more flexible then PLA which means its not as brittle so it can take a hit better. Since I'm usually printing functional parts I use the stronger material. Too much hassle to swap filaments and printer settings IMO

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Voodoobrew

you can print PETG on clean glass no problem, pick up a glass picture from from the dollar store and hold it in place with those paper clamp thingamajigs. but the petg sticks the the glass like crazy at about 65-70c so let it cool down and it will separate on its own.

to get pla to stick I used blue painters tape and purple glue sticks. I don't think I used pla since I added the glass bed.

you might also try hair spray to get it to stick.

clean the bed with alcohol.

also the right height is needed, there is defiantly a sweet spot and if you're outside of it the other stuff wont help much.

No Idea how water affects this, I leave my rolls in open air next to the aquarium and never had an issue.

PLA was easiest to get clean prints, PETG can get stringy and doesn't bridge as well. but PETG is a but more flexible then PLA which means its not as brittle so it can take a hit better. Since I'm usually printing functional parts I use the stronger material. Too much hassle to swap filaments and printer settings IMO

Ok good to know about PETG on glass and thanks for the tips as well.

I’ll try using some painters tape and glue also. I have cleaned he bed with alcohol.

I think it’s just me making rookie mistakes and not knowing. Once I learn it more, I think I’ll be printing good prints.

I definitely want to get into PETG for sure. I already have a Capricorn tubing, so I should be good to print PETG, right?


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[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Dehydrator just arrived on Island! Should have it today!


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[Voodoobrew]

Capricorn tubing? If you mean Bowden tube then yea its fine. but bowden tubes over complacate things and dont really have much of a benefit. more to fail. im yea it cal lighten up the X axes, but what about the Y axes? that has a huge aluminum plate and possibly glass on it? its prety heavy. Dont try to print too fast, it just wreks stuff IMO.

A BLtouch on the other hand I hear is pretty handy. makes those first layer problems go away. I have one but never installed it because my cheap, acrylic printer never loses it level any ways. and im very lazy.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Voodoobrew

Capricorn tubing? If you mean Bowden tube then yea its fine. but bowden tubes over complacate things and dont really have much of a benefit. more to fail. im yea it cal lighten up the X axes, but what about the Y axes? that has a huge aluminum plate and possibly glass on it? its prety heavy. Dont try to print too fast, it just wreks stuff IMO.

A BLtouch on the other hand I hear is pretty handy. makes those first layer problems go away. I have one but never installed it because my cheap, acrylic printer never loses it level any ways. and im very lazy.

Yes, Bowden tube.

The few prints I’ve done it’s been about 55-70mm/s.

I’ve heard good things about them, but I’ll stick with my knobs for now lmao.


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[Stomp]

Originally Posted by Voodoobrew

Capricorn tubing? If you mean Bowden tube then yea its fine. but bowden tubes over complacate things and dont really have much of a benefit. more to fail. im yea it cal lighten up the X axes, but what about the Y axes? that has a huge aluminum plate and possibly glass on it? its prety heavy. Dont try to print too fast, it just wreks stuff IMO.

A BLtouch on the other hand I hear is pretty handy. makes those first layer problems go away. I have one but never installed it because my cheap, acrylic printer never loses it level any ways. and im very lazy.

Capricorn is a brand name for a company that makes PTFE Bowden tubes.

I personally just kept the stock tubing and it has not given me any trouble. Some people report that the PTFE tubes that come from Capricorn have a smaller inner diameter and can cause problems if your filament is not perfectly uniform.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

I have had the PLA in the dehydrator for about 3 hours now, probably give it another 1h or 2 then I’ll take it out and put it in my dry box.

Should be doing good prints tomorrow.


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[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Stomp

Capricorn is a brand name for a company that makes PTFE Bowden tubes.

I personally just kept the stock tubing and it has not given me any trouble. Some people report that the PTFE tubes that come from Capricorn have a smaller inner diameter and can cause problems if your filament is not perfectly uniform.

It is harder to pull the filament out I’ve noticed.


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