3D Printer yet?

[Monkeh]

Around 210/215C looks about on the money - as is typical for most PLAs these days.

[HobGoblyn]

So I've had interesting fun.  Following on from previous posts, I ended up with both PrusaSlicer and Cura on my PC.

So I sliced the bridging test mnementh linked to, on both of them

So first I tried slicing with PrusaSlicer, was stringy from the start and within a very short time I ended up with a spaghetti monster (see first pic).

I then printed the Cura one and its turned out almost perfect (see other pics)

I think my main problem is learning the software.

Thanks all

[mnementh]

   

That looks good, but the proof of the pudding on that test is what the bottom looks like. You're looking for tight, flat threads with no sagging, stringing or "pinches" at the ends like you can see in these examples. Ideally, they will have good layer bonding starting with the first layer, though that CAN be hard to achieve.

Around 210/215C looks about on the money - as is typical for most PLAs these days.

I was thinking 195-200 on the 2nd sample, as long as layer adhesion is good. What are you seeing that I'm not? Seriously; I'm looking to learn here.

When I upgraded to the CReality hotend, I found I had to dial the heat down (that was when I had the hairy mess printing my 'Fang) from the default 205° in the recommended AlfaWise profile. I assume that has to do with the sock on the heater block improving heat transfer to the filament...?

mnem
 

[CatalinaWOW]

As you are learning, 3D printing is heavily dependent on process control, and therefore rewards careful experiment and record keeping.  Keep a notebook with information each print (settings, orientation, room temp, filament including brand and other info, software and so on), with what the failures and successes were.  The answers will be different for different filament types and also for different part shapes.  Once you have success, stick with that recipe until you have need to change. 

One obvious reason for change is when you change filament types.  Unless you have a very unusual memory the notebook is a lifesaver when you change back to a previous filament type.

There can be very subtle problems.  One case I am fighting right now is a knob that I print in quantity.  Single knobs print perfectly.  But if I print six at once, one of the six obviously is printed too hot and sags on one side.  The other five are perfect.  Still working that one out.  There are simple solutions, such as commanding it to print serially instead of simultaneously, but I am going for understanding not just results and am not there yet.

Software is a surprisingly important place to look.  I have had several oops moments recently because the STL export from my CAD program included construction artifacts that weren't apparent in the model as displayed.  The print was actually a perfectly correct implementation of the STL, it just wasn't what I had modeled.

[mnementh]

Yeah, I've found that Fusion in particular has made great strides in their "autopatching" or whatever they call the process whereby it automatically repairs extruded/pushed/pulled faces into a single homogeneous body without voids. It can be infuriating when it refuses to do fillets the way you ask, but at least it usually doesn't create one-sided walls or delete half the model in the attempt like it used to. The horrifying part (at least to me) is that as aggravating as Fusion is, it is STILL more accessible to my mind, by at least a factor of 10, than anything else I've tried.

As a result, the one part of 3DP that keeps me from falling too deep down the rabbit-hole is having to argue with the CAD program every time I start a project; everything else in the process feels much more organic and of a linear progression. Knowing that I'll inevitably spend at least 30 minutes because the software is having a screaming case of the "NO!!!"s does tend to make me evaluate my 3DP projects with much greater clarity and an eye to "Do I really NEED to make this...?" BEFORE I begin. 

mnem
 

[Mr. Scram]

Yeah, I've found that Fusion in particular has made great strides in their "autopatching" or whatever they call the process whereby it automatically repairs extruded/pushed/pulled faces into a single homogeneous body without voids. It can be infuriating when it refuses to do fillets the way you ask, but at least it usually doesn't create one-sided walls or delete half the model in the attempt like it used to. The horrifying part (at least to me) is that as aggravating as Fusion is, it is STILL more accessible to my mind, by at least a factor of 10, than anything else I've tried.

As a result, the one part of 3DP that keeps me from falling too deep down the rabbit-hole is having to argue with the CAD program every time I start a project; everything else in the process feels much more organic and of a linear progression. Knowing that I'll inevitably spend at least 30 minutes because the software is having a screaming case of the "NO!!!"s does tend to make me evaluate my 3DP projects with much greater clarity and an eye to "Do I really NEED to make this...?" BEFORE I begin. 

mnem
 

CAD and EDA generally require learning the many quirks of that specific application. They all seem to have this and it is what tends to eat up your time, at least until you get proficient. You'll need to deal with non obvious consequences of the underlying programming in pretty much all of them and it's different every time.

[HobGoblyn]

Bottom doesn't look too bad (not saying it's anywhere near perfect though)







I'm still struggling printing the first disaster I had, not sure what Cura setting I'm missing, just tried again and stopped it due to this





The file I'm trying to print is here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2975429

[Mr. Scram]

What filament are you using?

[HobGoblyn]

AMZ3D 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01E1XKLIC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Monkeh]

Around 210/215C looks about on the money - as is typical for most PLAs these days.

I was thinking 195-200 on the 2nd sample, as long as layer adhesion is good. What are you seeing that I'm not? Seriously; I'm looking to learn here.

The increased resistance to flow at the lower temperatures causes the small pointed tower to under-extrude a little (it's not much on those photos, though). Also you get reduced layer adhesion and, IME, a little more sag on the bridging (angle in the photos can make this deceptive though) as the first layer sags from the heat of the next layer going onto it. You'd think printing hotter makes that worse, but it sticks better, so if you have adequate cooling it seems to come out better.

What's really interesting, and very hard to get photos of, is the difference in appearance with temperature and cooling. That can be fun to play with. Generally cooler gives you a matte finish, hotter glossy.

If in doubt, print a little hotter, IME.

I'm still struggling printing the first disaster I had, not sure what Cura setting I'm missing, just tried again and stopped it due to this

Haha (sorry, laughing with, not at), now I see the problem.

You're not meant to print that on its side! You're extruding into open air. Get the bottom on the build plate and you'll be fine.

AMZ3D is.. not great filament, sadly. From Amazon I'd suggest eSun (sadly thoroughly out of stock currently), Prima, and maybe the latest line of AmazonBasics (I haven't tried the new stuff, though).

[HobGoblyn]

All the recommended filament was out of stock, hence got something so that I can at least play with my new printer.

On it's side lol, I can see why you're laughing.  I just presumed that loading the stl into Cura would show it the right way up

[mnementh]

Around 210/215C looks about on the money - as is typical for most PLAs these days.

I was thinking 195-200 on the 2nd sample, as long as layer adhesion is good. What are you seeing that I'm not? Seriously; I'm looking to learn here.

The increased resistance to flow at the lower temperatures causes the small pointed tower to under-extrude a little (it's not much on those photos, though). Also you get reduced layer adhesion and, IME, a little more sag on the bridging (angle in the photos can make this deceptive though) as the first layer sags from the heat of the next layer going onto it. You'd think printing hotter makes that worse, but it sticks better, so if you have adequate cooling it seems to come out better.

What's really interesting, and very hard to get photos of, is the difference in appearance with temperature and cooling. That can be fun to play with. Generally cooler gives you a matte finish, hotter glossy.

If in doubt, print a little hotter, IME.

Hmmm... when I was playing with it hotter, I had first layer adhesion problems that drove me batty. I also had broken threads in the first layers of the bridge like HobGoblyn does.  True, I'm still using the clone Build-Tak that came on my glass plate.  I suppose it's time to to install the clone UltraBase and see what happens... might behave better with the E3 hotend and Fang on there now.

      Do you know any straightforward cause & effect type tuning guides on setting up the layer cooling speed? Max vs Regular fan speeds, and how to tell what effects you'll see with higher/lower fan speeds and how you know when you've got them right?

I'd also like to get similar a handle on the advanced Bridge Mode settings; it seems anything I change in there from the default E3 profile either does nothing that I can tell or just calls the suck and makes the print implode. 

Cura is pretty good about giving a description in a hover-dialog for every setting; problem is a lot of the terms they refer to don't mean anything to me yet, and everything I find online is just the same basic infill/wall/skin thickness/adhesion settings over and over from different people... nobody seems to have any interest in doing a step-by-step for this stuff. 

mnem
moo?

[mnementh]

All the recommended filament was out of stock, hence got something so that I can at least play with my new printer. On it's side lol, I can see why you're laughing.  I just presumed that loading the stl into Cura would show it the right way up

Oh, duh... we can see that it's on its side in the very first pic of the print fail you posted; I just skimmed straight past that to the Sghetti Monster pics... 

Bet your next one is a lot better! 

Another vote for Amazon Basics PLA/PLA+. Consistently decent, no surprises good or bad.

mnem
 

[Monkeh]

Do you know any straightforward cause & effect type tuning guides on setting up the layer cooling speed? Max vs Regular fan speeds, and how to tell what effects you'll see with higher/lower fan speeds and how you know when you've got them right?

No particular guides, but as far as fan speed goes: If you're losing layer adhesion or getting lots of fine hairy stringing (you may find this hard to notice with a bowden system.. there's a reason I do direct drive, direct drive, and that delta thing in the corner I haven't used this year), you've got too much cooling. If your overhangs and bridges are drooping, more cooling may be needed (alternatively, a change in temperature, extrusion ratio, or speed..).

I'd also like to get similar a handle on the advanced Bridge Mode settings; it seems anything I change in there from the default E3 profile either does nothing that I can tell or just calls the suck and makes the print implode. 

Cura is pretty good about giving a description in a hover-dialog for every setting; problem is a lot of the terms they refer to don't mean anything to me yet, and everything I find online is just the same basic infill/wall/skin thickness/adhesion settings over and over from different people... nobody seems to have any interest in doing a step-by-step for this stuff.

I don't use Cura, so I'm of no help there.

Another vote for Amazon Basics PLA/PLA+. Consistently decent, no surprises good or bad.

Bear in mind they recently (in the last year or so) changed manufacturer after dumping the previous (Overture) for being horribly inconsistent. The only stuff I've used from them is what little Overture got over here - and those were okay. YMMV. No idea who's manufacturing it now.

[Mr. Scram]

All the recommended filament was out of stock, hence got something so that I can at least play with my new printer.

On it's side lol, I can see why you're laughing.  I just presumed that loading the stl into Cura would show it the right way up

Cura always imports it in the wrong orientation. Until you start depending on it, that is.

[mnementh]

   

mnem
*fuzzy*

[beanflying]

For no good reason at all other than I haven't done it before  3D printed PLA Laser Vector Engraved with 3-8px Text and an Acrylic one for comparison. Font Sizes are 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 & 30.

Semi Failed Bed Adhesion issue from way back gave it's life for this test 

[mnementh]

bean’s delivery of amphibious sharks must be late... he had to find something ELSE to do with his laser packs. 

mnem
“It’s not technically a fiasco unless someone catches on fire.”

[beanflying]

It might be a possible use case for a Diode Laser addon for a 3D printer for Electronic Panels. I do have a 1/2 Watt one skulking around but to busy to set it up for a play. The power needed s almost off the bottom end for my current 40W C02 Laser there was a small puddling issue with Test Number 1 being set at the Acrylic Power level before this one shown .

[HobGoblyn]

Printing the right way up certainly makes a difference

[xrunner]

Printing the right way up certainly makes a difference

Looks pretty darn good to me. 

[mnementh]

 

[HobGoblyn]

So I've finished my testing, now to print something else.

An armadillo pot sounds like a good choice

Was guessing Cura settings, support touching build plate with support overhang angle of 60,   and infill density of 10%.

Pleased with it on the whole, not enough support under his neck (hence small hole on inside), pity the lid doesn't quite fit though.  See attached pics.

I might send the other reel back (got grey and black) and get decent stuff. Might as well make use of the grey stuff while I learn Cura though

[Monkeh]

Yeah, that looks pretty nice. You're overextruding, hard to say if that's the printer or the slicer.

On the test print, probably not good enough cooling for the overhangs (try printing rotated a few different ways to catch the airflow differently), and some retraction-related zits and the like due to the bowden, but nothing unexpected.

Try and fix up the extrusion rate and carry on printing!

[mnementh]

Or print yerself up a 'fang and make your E3 butt-uglee like mine!!!    https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2759439

Then get your extrusion dialed in... no sense in doing it twice.


   https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3693474

mnem