How do *you* print a filament drive?

[Hugs]

The filament drive (single and dual left/right) is the one part I have the most difficulty printing. Since I converted to a dual, I've tried a few and haven't gotten anything I'd call 100% success like the OEM-printed ones that came with the printer.

Can someone who has successfully printed one give me some tips?

This may be a trick question because I'm using Slic3r (both dev branch 1.3 and Prusa3D versions) and and I have a suspicion that the customizable support capability of S3D may shine here.

[zemlin]

Would be helpful if you would spell out the nature of the shortcomings you're seeing in your printed parts.

[3dPrintingMD]

I will tell you what I do, but in all fairness, I'm using S3D.

I make sure that I'm using support, but I do remove the support that normally prints in the filament "nozzle" hole, otherwise it would be impossible to get out.

But yes, please tell us where you're going wrong.

[Hugs]

Would be helpful if you would spell out the nature of the shortcomings you're seeing in your printed parts.

Here are two quick examples of difficult-to-remove supports (PETG with PLA+ support material):

The support for the bearing slot is almost impossible to pull through.

How Slic3r wants to support the hole for tension adjustment.

Prusa3D Slic3r has a similar feature to S3D where it will only generate supports from the bed but that means that it would try to print the bearing slot unsupported.

[Phil]

Here are two quick examples of difficult-to-remove supports (PETG with PLA+ support material):

I am just now setting up my dual extruder, so I have not tried different filaments for support material. Why did you choose those two? Would not dissolvable support filament work better, such as HIPS or PVA?

[zemlin]

yeah, you're getting support in places there you don't need it or want it. I also use S3D - i've only printed a couple in ABS, but didn't have any significant issues pulling the support out. i will need to drill out the filament holes before i try using them, but they look better than the Makergear parts.

[Hugs]

Why did you choose those two? Would not dissolvable support filament work better, such as HIPS or PVA?

My first problem is PVA is expensive (4X the cost) and I'd hardly use it. With HIPS, I don't want to mess with Limonene.

I do mostly functional parts prints and between PETG and PLA+, I have the best of both worlds. Depending on what kind of part I'm printing, I choose based on the balance between strength, rigidity, heat resistance, and dimensional accuracy/precision I need. PETG and PLA+ make a nice combination and for most of my support needs work great together.

[3dPrintingMD]

You would be better suited to just print totally in PETG.

I have done that many times. I've moved on to where I print my drives in Poly carbonate.

[ksevcik]

I couldn't believe slic3r was overkilling support like that, so I downloaded Prusa's just to see. Sure enough, with overhang threshold at 0, there's way too much support, including inside the filament path.

However, I set the overhang threshold to 1, and everything was nice. Support just for the bearing slot and some of the bridged access holes. Mind you this was for my slightly customized version of the filament drive, but since it seems like a slic3r issue, it should work for you too. No, I don't know why 0 generates loads more support than 1. Some sort of bug. I seem to recall having this kind of problem in MatterControl as well, so it seems like a common math problem for some slicers.