Inter-layer adhesion issue

[dramsey]

Okay, final thing - go back to -0.14 mm for your Z-Offset. (Now it's too close.)

OK...

...the tiny threads are not print killers, (you can just brush those off with an old toothbrush)

Technically true, I may simply have to learn to live with them.

...but those unconnected threads that I see in right curve of the top image shouldn't be happening. You should not be seeing those on the teapot.

Oh, but I did...

Hold on - i wonder if the fact that the fob is sunk below the bed isn't having an effect on S3D - it can get weird with layer attachments sometimes.

Honesty, this is a crappy, crappy model...a Thingiverse atrocity built with Makerbot's "Customizer" app, which is an offense to God and man. The hole for the key fob is a couple of layers below the rest of the fob. Dropping the fob into the bed was the only way I could get it to print (it was suggested by someone here.)

Let me fix that on the file and see if it changes anything on the print. Don't do anything, and don't change the filament again - every time you change something you have to fine-tune your settings. Leave the filament on that you were using for the fobs and stand by.....

Well, that was fun....hate messing with mesh files.

Ford key fob(8).zip

Okay, I just updated that file - I figured it out - your infill was too low for that honeycomb pattern (you were right about that.) Version 8 above has the fast wiggle with a 50% infill. That's going to take care of the threads not catching on that curved honeycomb surface.

If version 8 doesn't work....I give up. (Man....have I got a headache.)

Again, thank you sincerely for all the effort you've gone to. I will try again in the morning...

[PcS]

Every picture points to and incorrectly set z height. You need to take an hour or more and set your printer up right. Get the bed level and z height correctly set . Print it at 190. If pla strings a lot you are too hot.slow your print speed down to 2400. This will help as well. Everything you are experiencing is all part of the 3d printing experience. It does not matter which printer you buy . You will have to invest the time to learn the craft. It can be a very rewarding tool . But all tools take time to master. You do not walk up to a lathe or mill and instantly start cranking out perfection. The biggest mistake people make is get in a hurry to get going and get the printer set close. The 90% first layer height is set that way by default in s3d as the makergear default profile. Which if you set the z gap correctly will work just fine.

[dramsey]

Every picture points to and incorrectly set z height. You need to take an hour or more and set your printer up right. Get the bed level and z height correctly set . Print it at 190. If pla strings a lot you are too hot.slow your print speed down to 2400. This will help as well. Everything you are experiencing is all part of the 3d printing experience. It does not matter which printer you buy . You will have to invest the time to learn the craft. It can be a very rewarding tool . But all tools take time to master. You do not walk up to a lathe or mill and instantly start cranking out perfection. The biggest mistake people make is get in a hurry to get going and get the printer set close. The 90% first layer height is set that way by default in s3d as the makergear default profile. Which if you set the z gap correctly will work just fine.

That makes all sorts of sense. But as far as I can tell the Z height is perfect. Here's what I did:

1. Heated bed and extruder to temp.
2. Centered X and Y axes.
3. Homed Z.
4. Stuck 0.15mm feeler gauge under head.
5. Loosened head bolt to drop head onto feeler gauge.
6. Tightened head bolt.
7. Leveled bed so there's "slight drag" between head and 0.15mm gauge everywhere on the bed.
8. Printed 2mm high calibration cubes. Adjusted Z offset in G Code settings to account for difference between measured height and 2mm.

And repeat those 8 steps about a dozen times over the last week.

My original problem was a clogged extruder. In another thread you can see an image where I was printing out 8 of these damnable fobs, and the first two were perfect, the third and fourth were progressively worse, and the extruder clogged completely after a layer or two printing the fifth.

My efforts to clear the clog in the extruder nozzle didn't bear fruit, so I ordered a pair of new 0.35mm brass extruder nozzles. The current problems with layer adhesion, filament dragging, etc. all started after putting the new nozzle on.

So I'm very sympathetic to the "wrong Z height" view, except that I don't know how to make it any better.

[Matt_Sharkey]

I'm not too familiar with S3D since i'm team Slic3r; is there a setting for combining infill every "n" layers. your problem infill looks very thick.

try a temperature calibration test, make a 100mm tall hollow test cube and edit the gcode to drop the temp every 10mm. start at 215C and drop 3C every 10mm. maybe when you reset your termistor it doesn't read the same values as it used to.

I know that we keep throwing calibration at you but you mentioned new nozzles. Have you re-calibrated your multiplier since then? have you checked out your filament thickness?

and finally, have you tried different filament? maybe this roll is junked.

[sthone]

There is no magic number when it comes to first layer height. A 0.15mm feeler gauge is just a starting height.

Print something with a single skirt and look at the skirt line, if it's too round you don't have the correct z-height.

Loosen the lock nut on the Z-stop bolt, tighten the bolt a bit (one flat on the bolt) and lock the nut again.

Run the print again and is it's still not slightly flat skirt line repeat the process again.

Do this.... Run a print now, take a picture of a single line and post a picture of it and we'll tell you if your z-height is off.

[dramsey]

I'm not too familiar with S3D since i'm team Slic3r; is there a setting for combining infill every "n" layers. your problem infill looks very thick.

Not that I know of. Previously I was using a 20% infill with a rectilinear pattern with great success. Jule's new pattern is a 50% infill which also works.

try a temperature calibration test, make a 100mm tall hollow test cube and edit the gcode to drop the temp every 10mm. start at 215C and drop 3C every 10mm. maybe when you reset your termistor it doesn't read the same values as it used to.

As soon as I figure out how to do this in S3D.

I know that we keep throwing calibration at you but you mentioned new nozzles. Have you re-calibrated your multiplier since then? have you checked out your filament thickness?

Printing a 2mm thin wall cube with 0.40mm sides yields a 2.00-2.03mm high cube with wall thickness ranging from 0.39 to 0.42mm. I think I'm good. (Although I haven't touched these settings, which are extrusion multiplier of 0.90 and manual thickness set to 0.40mm.

and finally, have you tried different filament? maybe this roll is junked.

Yep, tried brand new package of filament last night. No noticeable difference. It might be worth noting that in the previous month I was able to switch between quality Makergear opaque blue filament and crappy XYZPrinting translucent blue filament with no changes at all in S3D and no visible quality difference in the prints.

[dramsey]

There is no magic number when it comes to first layer height. A 0.15mm feeler gauge is just a starting height.

I would say that there is no deterministic number, and it's all magic. But that's just anomie and bitterness speaking.

Do this.... Run a print now, take a picture of a single line and post a picture of it and we'll tell you if your z-height is off.

[dramsey]

Jules, results of printing with your new version 8 file:



Your original settings at the upper left, the Time of Perfect Printing at the right, and V8 at the lower left.

The main problem now seems to be "white fluff". I think this is due to the head dragging on the print: I can feel (and hear) vibrations at times when the head is moving, and they seem to correspond to times when I can actually see tiny bits being dragged behind the head as it prints.



Here's a closeup look at your V8 print next to the perfect print:



Still seeing-- although to a lesser extent-- the odd vertical "ripple" in the base layer under the logo. Looks like subtle ocean waves. Note how straight and flat the extrusion lines are in the print on the right.

BTW, Jules, we were discussing surface finish-- the example prints Makergear included with the printer (A gorilla head and a 6" long twisted bar) both exhibit the same matte surface finish as I've had previously. The filament itself is flat blue, not shiny. How it can come out shiny(er) now, at temps ranging from 205 to 215 degrees, is a mystery.

[sthone]

If that's a single line skirt it looks a little too flat to me, like your nozzle is to close to the bed. If it were me I'd probably back off a bit (loosen) the Z-bolt and try again.

-Steve

[Jules]

Well, it's looking a lot better now, stucturally speaking. But the nozzle hitting the plastic and scraping it is still a bit of a problem.

Are you printing this with no adhesive? (Might want to try some to hold the PLA down as it cools.) It can warp up and cause the nozzle to drag across it when its close like that. I happen to know that I already slowed down the speed quite a bit in the Cooling section because of those small details - what's happening is the lettering is warping up because it doesn't have time to cool down before the next layer gets laid down. (It's called heat-soak and it happens on small details.) If you point a separate fan at the plate, or remove the fan guard on the bed fan (only the fan that points at the bed) you can reduce that warping with PLA

That slight ripple in the top surface might be the effect of the Wiggle infill - change it back to Rectilinear. It doesn't look bad, but if it's not the effect you want, just change it.

Other than that - that print looks okay to me. Not exactly like the first ones you did, but they never do. You've changed an awful lot of settings between then and now.