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Creality Ender 3: Layer shifting at high speeds
I am printing Benchies at high speed, I successfully printed one at 300 mm/s. If I set the speed to 400 mm/s, the Y axis begins shifting around. This is usually accompanied by a banging sound.
In addition, the extruder motor occasionally clicks. When it clicks, the filament shoots back out a little bit.
Print settings:

Infill: 100 %
Hotend: 200 °C
Bed: 60 °C
Material: PLA
Infill: Lines
Walls: 2
Top/bottom layers: 2
Speed: 400 mm/s
Jerk: 400 mm/s
Acceleration: 1000000

I am running custom Marlin-based firmware on the stock mainboard.
The printer shakes my desk when printing like this.

This is very fast printing speed. Why you want to print this fast?

I'm trying to print many things in a day, but I can only print one at a time because of my warped bed. At least, I think it's warped. Prints come out fine in the center, but adhesion becomes poorer and poorer toward the outside edges of the bed, to the point where it won't stick at all in about an inch from the edges.

What layer height do you use?

Just the normal 0.2mm

TL;DR: Don't do that.
Detailed answer: You need motion limit parameters that actually make physical sense, and firmware capable of executing a motion plan according to them. Your jerk and acceleration settings absolutely don't. Marlin's whole implementation of jerk is wacky (note: modern Marlin versions don't even use it but an alternative they call "junction deviation" instead) and likely to cause problems above very low values; I never was able to take it above 25 or so on Marlin without layer shifts. Acceleration is dependent on the stepper motor torque and the mass you'll be accelerating. For the Y axis, that's the bed, and it has enough mass you won't accelerate it above 12000 mm/s² or so, much less the requested 1 km/s² plus near-infinite acceleration from the extreme near-instantaneous 400 mm/s velocity change ("jerk").
The speed of 400 mm/s is achievable if you don't do it instantaneously. Stepper motors begin to rapidly lose torque beyond a certain speed due to limits on how fast the magnetic field can build up and be reversed, which has to happen for each step. This calculator can compute the limits if you know the properties of your motor. For the Ender 3 Y axis motor, the limit is around 425 mm/s or so if I'm remembering right.
For actual print speed, though, the hotend and extruder cannot keep up with anything nearly that high. 150 mm/s is about the limit with that hotend, and it might even be lower with a stock extruder. Fortunately, Benchy is mostly acceleration-bound, not top-speed-bound, so if you can get your acceleration profile right, you can still print quite fast.
Now the next limit you'll hit is Marlin. Marlin is... not good at high speeds and accelerations. Often the layer shifts you hit with Marlin aren't even physical limits but Marlin bugs. If you want to go fast, you need Klipper, not only because it lacks these step timing bugs, but because you need its Input Shaper feature to keep the high acceleration from tearing your printer apart (literally, vibrating all the screws out!).

I printed a benchy at 300 mm/s and it came out fine. Actually it did surprisingly well. I set the speed to 150 mm/s, then on the printer's main screen turned up the print speed to 200%.

@Proxy303: How long did it take to print? I have a strong feeling it did not actually print at the speed you thought it did.

A benchy with the same settings except print speed usually takes 4-5 hours. (100% infill). This one took 58 minutes.

@Proxy303: 4-5 hours for a benchy is pretty long. Why are you printing with 100% infill? You shouldn't change print speed in printer's main screen.

@Proxy303: 58 minutes is crazy long for a benchy. If you were actually printing at 400 mm/s and essentially infinite acceleration, it'd be more like 4 minutes. So your settings just aren't being honored, for whatever reason. For comparison, my fastest benchies on Ender 3 are around 13 minutes with around 200 mm/s and 12000 mm/s² accel.

Follow-up: I missed the 100% infill - that will add some time. Sliced for 100% infill with 150 mm/s and 10000 mm/s² for the solid fill, I get an estimate of 39 minutes to print. I'm not going to actually waste the material to print it but these estimates are usually very close to actual.

How did you get 13 minutes? What settings?

@Proxy303: Layer height, walls, top/bottom layers, etc. according to #speedboatrace rules. I lost my exact profiles in disk issue (may be recoverable) but roughly: travel at 420 mm/s and 21000 mm/s², print at 160 mm/s and 9000 mm/s², maybe faster for some types of lines. Square corner velocity was probably something like 50 mm/s. With Klipper and SKR Mini E3 V2.0 mainboard. If you search YouTube or look on the Annex Discord server at entries, you can find Ender 3's much faster than mine, too.

(Those numbers I just cited were pulled out of gcode files I found, reading the G0 F..., G1 F..., and M204 commands - I'm not sure which of them was best, but all were in similar range.)

Ok, so you are having multiple problems, lets break it down:
At the speed you are pushing, it would not be weird to have the Y belt slipping around. Also inertia comes into play, so please, dont do that.
What you are mentioning about the filament going out a bit, also makes sense. You are exceeding the max volumetric flowrate for the ender 3. I would recommend going for a higher flow nozzle/Hotend combo.


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Initial Layer Line width in PrusaSlicer
In Cura, there is a setting called: Initial Layer Line Width. What is its equivalent in PrusaSlicer?

If you look in Print Settings > Advanced tab, you will find First Layer under Extrusion Width.
However, do not assume that every option in Cura will have an equivalent setting in other slicers.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

sort: votes


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Bridge infill does not stick to the perimeter
I'm printing small detail on Prusa Mini with Prusament PLA @ default 215 °C.
Model was sliced with the PrusaSlicer with default 0.15 mm quality profile.
The problem is that when the printer is making the bridging infill it does not stick it properly to the perimeter layer. Making the place where head turned back hanging.
What may be the issue and how to prevent it?

It looks like the bridge infill (blue) is supported by the previous layers (black)?

In my experience, the ends of bridges must always be supported by the layer below them — not the perimeter of the same layer. Add a feature to your model which makes the area under the end of the bridge solid, not a gap.

This is really a slicer bug - the slicer should be ensuring that there is something for the bridge to adhere to. You should not have to design your model around guesses about how the slicer will lay out the bridging.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Can Fusion 360 optimize topology using only struts and triangles?
I want to make a light titanium part which will be very visible and 3D printed. Can I force Fusion to use only struts like this?

I realize it will limit the performance but in this application aesthetics are important.

Reopening, as this seems to be a 3D printing related question (and the third vote was by accident). Staker, even though it's not particularly relevant to your question, just out of interest how do you intend to print with titanium (which process)? Could you [edit] the question and add that please?

Even though your question seems to be related to 3D printing, you may get a better response asking on SE.Engineering, they have a lot of Fusion 360 questions. Maybe delete this question and post it there (please don't cross-post)?


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Ender 5 plus - leveling
My Ender 5 plus developed a strange issue. The printer is always moving the bed a couple of mm from the nozzle. I have releveled the bed a couple of times, that does not solve it. I did also a manual adjustment, e.g. started the print and then adjust the Z-axis until the nozzle is at the right height to get the layer at the bed. When I stop the print and then restart the print, it set the nozzle at the same previous distance.
It did store the Z-axis offset, but somehow it is being ignored. I have checked the firmware version which is 1.70.2. That firmware came with the printer and seems to be a later version than what is available on the Creality website. I did not make any modifications to the printer.

Also used a different slicer now to see if it was an issue with the slicer. Same issue.

Does it save your new z-offset in memory? You can check this in configuration menu. Also check, if you offset in your slicer.

What controller board do you have?


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What else can I print with my stock Ender 3
I have used PLA and PLA+ so far and I know that it can use ABS and PETG but I'm curious what other materials could I in theory use with my Ender 3?
It is a stock configuration, for the time being at least until after Christmas, and my grandfather and I have designed an enclosure to build together.

This depends on what kind of hotend you have installed, if you have it in an enclosure and so on. This is an open ended list.....

Is it stock at this time?

PLA is just about the only common material that prints well on the stock Ender 3. The extruder lacks proper grip and/or torque at the hob for printing PETG well, and printing TPU with a bowden tube is very slow and error-prone. All of these should work if you're willing to go very slow (20-30 mm/s top) though. ABS and ASA are probably doable, at least with a simple enclosure, but I don't have any experience with them. Most other common materials need significantly higher temperatures than the hotend's safe limit of 250 ˚C.
However there are a couple uncommon materials that should print well:

PVB (polyvinyl butyral, probably best known as Polymaker Polysmooth). It prints at temperatures similar to PLA, but is soluble (and therefore smoothable) in isopropyl alcohol (IPA).

PLC (polycaprolactone) is a very-low-temperature material most commonly used in "3D pens". In fact the temperatures for it are so low (70-140 ˚C) that you'll likely need to send special gcode commands to disable the "minimum extrude temperature" in the printer's firmware or flash firmware without that limitation.

Finally, I guess I should mention that POM (Acetal/Delrin) is within the range of the stock hotend and extruder's capabilities, but is utter hell to print. It doesn't adhere to anything but itself, and warps badly as it cools.

I'll definitely try PVB for my busts, miniatures etc. thanks

Also we can consider PVA, I suppose.

Yes. I didn't include materials normally used as support only. However PVA is potentially interesting for things like making custom time-release shells (think tide pods, medicine, etc.). HIPS is another material that's usually used as support but might be printable.

A (pre-2019) stock ender3 can't print tpu because of a 3mm gap between the driver in the extruder and the bowden tube.  But there are multiple adapter plates on thingiverse that close this gap, and then tpu works fine (with some tuning).
I got tpu to work for small parts even without the adapter plate.

This is incorrect. The stock Ender 3, at least since 2019, has not had this problem. While there are other reasons printing TPU on it is painful, I used the stock extruder for the first 2 years I owned mine and never once had TPU buckle between the hob and the bowden.

Not incorrect, but perhaps out of date.  My ender3 is older than 2019.   I'll adjust my answer.  I've had no pain in printing tpu ince I calibrated it.

Based on things I recall reading, I think they fixed it at some point in 2018, but I never saw the bad extruder myself. Mine has a sort of curved triangle form in the plastic bracket that protrudes between the idler and the hob so that the filament has nowhere to buckle.

Even unmodified, my stock ender3 was able to print tpu for a while but eventually it would buckle and escape the extruder driver.

Consider Wood PLA.  It is similar to PLA but more abrasive, and with different happy-temperatures.
Especially useful if you want to paint your output, or if you have woodworking skills/tools then prints can be (somewhat) worked and incorporated into larger projects.
Imagine printing detailed scallions or crenellations or gargoyles for a spooky dollhouse - the main walls would use an inordinate amount of filament whereas sheet-wood is cheaper.

Note: abrasive filaments like this will wear out your nozzle.  Have replacements ready.

that's awesome, I love woodworking so this would be super helpful for small parts.

Eryone has a 15% metal PLA is it any good?

@TristanAdams that might be a better question by itself.  Also is off topic for being "opinion"   Try rephrasing as "what are the advantages and disadvantages of Eryone's 15% metal PLA compared to other PLA?"


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Is there a good or rather better way to finish/smooth FDM prints?
I'm curious as to whether there's an easier and/or more effective way to smooth/finish my FDM prints. I've read about some online but I'd like a second opinion. I'm mostly using PLA and PLA+.

Consider to qualify "easier" and "more effective" based on your discoveries, to prevent your question from being closed for being vague and/or opinion based.

Easier and/or more effective than what? What are we comparing against here? Are you comparing against a process that you currently use, or something that you've read about? If the latter, then what reading have you done online (links to articles, papers, etc.)? Unfortunately, your question is rather nebulous as it stands currently. Also, your question is possibly a duplicate of How do I give 3D-printed parts in PLA a shiny smooth finish?

Closed due to lack of feedback from user.


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What are the advantages and disadvantages of Eryone's 15% metal PLA compared to other PLA?
I am thinking of using it for a project or two but am still somewhat new to this.
So, I was wondering what are the advantages and disadvantages of Eryone's 15% metal PLA and X% metal PLA in general?

Advantage: It should print like regular PLA at PLA temperatures.
Disadvantage: the embedded metal particles are abrasive and will widen your standard brass nozzle over time.  The fix is to use a hardened steel nozzle, or for the extreme, there are options like ruby-tipped nozzles.
Advantage: It should look "metallic" in a way that is more durable than a paint-on topcoat finish, with a depth instead of a surface-only appearance.
Disadvantage: I can't find the product you're referencing.  The nearest I can find is Metal Silk Rainbow PLA  and Ultra Silk PLA
That latter one is available in gold, bronze, copper, silver, etc. which sounds like metal, but only printing some will show you in person what it looks like.

See also Additional mods for printing metal filled filament with Ender 3 V2?

@agarza  "Embiggen" is a perfectly cromulent word.

That's fine, but the idea is for users to easily understand what the answer is. I would venture to say that a great number of people will not know the definition of "embiggen" unless they look it up, which they won't because they are too lazy.

thanks that's just the answer I needed, also @agarza is right I didn't even know that word existed until now.


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My FlashForge Creator Pro has started to spontaneously restart mid-print, begin vibrating, printing along one axis repeatedly, etc
I've changed SD cards, printed from USB connection, upgraded/reloaded firmware and attempted using different software packages.  Nothing has worked yet.  When connected via USB, I get a "disconnected" error after a few minutes into the print.  Also, the LED lights now either don't work at all or will randomly go out after a few minutes - usually indicating that the print failure is imminent.  I've had the printer for about 4 years without issues.  I don't want to replace the motherboard only to find out it's the power source or vice versa.  Help?

could be a power supply problem.  if you reloaded firmware ok, mobo's core should be alright.  mobo-driver connections might be an issue though.

I recently had this problem and narrowed it down to the part cooling fan (on the side of the extruder head).  I diagnosed the problem by noticing that the printer would reboot shortly after the second layer started, only on PLA prints.  Of course, the part cooling fan is not usually started until after the first layer.  It was shorted and when the printer got to the second layer it would overload the power supply and cause a reboot.  Took a while to determine this, but it is worth looking at if somebody else is having this problem.
I would guess that any shorted fan, even the extruder fans, might cause a similar issue, however, I don't know this for sure.

Welcome to 3D Printing SE and thank you for your contribution. When you get a chance, please take the [tour] to understand how the site works and how it is different than others.

I had a similar problem with my Ender 3 that started after relocating the power supply to a (3D printed) bracket to give additional clearance from the edge of the bed (it was touching the magnetic build sheet, potentially causing prints to lift or warp at +X +Y corner).
What I found was that the brackets I had printed allowed enough movement of power supply to make the 24V output connection intermittent, even despite tightening the slip-on terminal.  I solved the problem by printing another bracket piece that constrains the top of the power supply as well as the bottom (in the originally printed bracket); I haven't had a random restart during a print since then.


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Steel heatbed - White stains after cleaning with IPA
So, I'm new at 3D printing and I've tried cleaning my new 3D printer's steel heated bed with Isopropyl Alcohol and it left some very nasty white marks all over the bed.
I tried cleaning it off with water and dish soap but it didn't work.
Is there anyway to clean it?
Is my bed ruined?
I'm using the stock Biqu-B1 steel heated bed.

Is this your build plate? If so, it says it comes with a powder coating, is this coating now showing these white stains?

Yes, I think so.
So, perhaps the IPA damaged the powder?
Do you think it would still be safe to use?

do fuses/breakers trip when you use it?  if not, it's not likely to be significantly more dangerous- its still an electrically heated plate.

@Abel I think it is a steel sheet cover, not the heated bed itself.

Yes, I meant the steel sheet cover, not the bed itself. I'm very new to this so I might confuse terms, sorry.
I'm using the reverse side of the steel sheet now, so far no fires :)

A clear and well-lit photo of your bed would be useful, if you could add that to your question with [edit]

Well, finally I decided to go all in and did it all again.
Cleaned the bed again with a cotton disc with IPA but scrubbing harder than the first time, then warm water and dish soap and more scrubbing and finally dried it with a soft cloth.
White stains are almost gone now, will try later if it still has adherence for prints.
Perhaps I panicked a little too soon, lol, sorry
Thank you all


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Are there any free scanning programs available?
I keep looking around for 3D scanning software but can't find anything I like. Any suggestions? I'm more looking for a free app so I can use my android phone, but am open to desktop based solutions too.

You are going to get a lot of different answers/opinions with that kind of question. I would suggest narrowing it down with more specific information that you are needing/wanting.

This could be good as a community wiki, because the answers change over time.  Also tagged as [canonical] so future duplicates can be closed and aimed at this "authorative" question.

that's actually a good idea

in contrast to the 32-Bit-Slicers of post-2018 (which is a very tiny number and very few will be developed anymore), this is entirely opinion based.

@Criggie - tell us more about this [canonical] tag (do you have a link?)... we don't have one yet, although we do have a [knowledge-base] tag, is that the same thing? I thought that there was a meta post about our knowledge base, but I can't find it.

In case this question does get closed for being a request for software recommendation, there is actually (rather ironically) a software recommendations site on Stack Exchange, where presumably they only accept shopping type questions...

1. Meshroom
https://alicevision.org/
Meshroom can take any number of overlapping photographs and turn them into a 3D model. Those pictures can be taken from any phone, or even a drone. For best results, you will need to know the make/model and sensor size of the camera.
Works on Windows/Linux and requires a CUDA compatible video card
Resources

https://alicevision.org/#meshroom
Prusa Blog on Meshroom

2. ADOP
https://github.com/darglein/ADOP
ADOP is a neural network similar to Meshroom that can combine photos into a 3D model, however, it has a very impressive ability to generate highly accurate data from just a few pictures. It also provides a virtual reality viewer.
Works on Linux/Windows. Does require some familiarity compiling code
Resources

ADOP featured on 2-minute papers YouTube channel
https://github.com/darglein/ADOP

I personally use SCANN3D. It is available on Android but I don't know if it is for desktop too.

Link is dead, presumably it is this: https://sourceforge.net/software/product/SCANN3D/ or here on GooglePlay

Also, if you [edit] and add why you like the app and its features, then that might be useful.


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How do metal infused filaments work?
I am considering making modifications to my Ender 3 so I can print metal-infused PLA, but I'm somewhat unclear on how it works and how the PLA is supposed to be separated from the metal content in post-processing?

The title is not very clear, what do you mean by how they work? Filament is filament and a printer can print it. Are you e.g. hinting to very high metal content to post-process (sinter) to get metal parts? Is it the post-processing step you don't understand?

if you separate binder from infused metal, you will be left with metal dust, likely wasting printing efforts.  is that what you wish to do?  If so, you could try to melt or burn it out.

interesting, I was more just wondering how post-processing on it is done

@TristanAdams That depends on the application. Is it PLA with a little metal or is is metal powder with a binder. The latter printed objects need to be sintered in an oven at high pressure and temperature, not something you can generally do at home.


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How can I convert a mathematically defined shape into a 3D printable G-code file?
Suppose I have the X, Y, and Z coordinates (either in a list or a function z = f(x,y)) that defines a shape as the one provided and I want to 3D print it with a solid bottom, is there an easy way to do this? If not, how can a functionally well-defined shape be put into a 3D modeling software like FreeCAD?

For stuff like this, OpenSCAD is your friend. There are several different approaches you could take:

Generate an image file with grayscale color representing the height of the function on an XY grid, and use the surface feature to import it as a heightmap.

Write the function as a mathematical expression in OpenSCAD language, and write a module to generate a polyhedron by iterating over a sufficiently fine coordiante grid, sampling the function, and producing points and triangles.

Use a library someone else has already written for this purpose. I'm not aware of specific ones but pretty sure there are quite a few.

I try to use OpenSCAD when designing and it was my first thought when seeing the question. I have insufficient brain cells to contribute in the manner you did, however.

Another option is to use Full Control Designer where you can define the path using Excel formulas and it will generate the GCode for you.

You may generate a .stl file from your mathematical definition. You may write a program using a language of your choice to compute the .stl file.
Your image shows a lot of rectangles, each rectangle may be described as two triangles. The .stl file is a (very long) list of all that triangles. Each triangle is defined by the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the three corners.
solid name

facet normal ni nj nk
    outer loop
        vertex v1x v1y v1z
        vertex v2x v2y v2z
        vertex v3x v3y v3z
    endloop
endfacet

endsolid name

Each n or v is a floating-point number in sign-mantissa-"e"-sign-exponent format, e.g., "2.648000e-002". The triangle vertices should be sorted using the "right-hand rule", i.e. the vertices are listed in counter-clockwise order from outside.
The normal vector ni nj nk is set to zero.
The G-code file is generated from the .stl file using the slicing software for your 3D printer.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) for details.

Not sure what you're asking exactly, but you can use this workflow:

SideFX Houdini: math function + STL file generation

(optional) FreeCAD: Import STL as mesh, do whatever you need to do in FreeCAD, export to STL

a slicer: import the STL and slice it.


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Printer has stopped extruding
I have been printing toy cars for about a month now and my Ender 3 has stopped extruding plastic even when I insert filament, it has been about a day since it stopped working. Is there any tips for getting it working again?
I tried manual feeding which worked.

Hi Tom, welcome to 3DPrinting.SE! This is little info to work with, like in: "I put petrol in my car, but it won't start".  Could you please elaborate on the question by making sure that your nozzle is not clogged, or the extruder lever is broken (common Ender 3 issue). If manual feeding does not work, you're nozzle is probably clogged.

Check here for one possibility.  https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15629/what-are-ways-to-avoid-heat-creep

You need to figure out what is not working

Is the hotend getting hot?   If not, melted filament won't come out.
Is the nozzle clogged?   In your toolkit was a bit of thin wire for poking into the nozzle - try that and see what happens. You may need to heat the hotend, extract the filament, wait for it to cool, remove the bowden tube and push the wire up from below, if the obstruction is too big to come through the 0.4mm nozzle.
Is the extruder pushing/feeding filament?  Undo the bowden tube at the top, tell the control panel to extrude and observe if plastic moves.  An Ender3 V2 has the round handle on top, you should see it slowly revolving.
If you can see the gears turning and the filament is not coming through, try snipping that piece off and inserting a fresh end.  Also clean inside the pushing gears of the extruder, could be simple plastic detris laying about.
Are you having reel problems?  Can you tug on the filament and have the reel turn? If not, it might be binding on the roll, or knotted/tangled.

that's weird I didn't see a bit of wire in my kit.

My comment refuses to upload so I think it’ll be ok if I just put it here:
Thanks this fixed it I had to replace my hot end as the one had broken for some reason but now it is fully working again, thank you so much!
Sorry for all the mistakes in formatting, I am new I joined 3 days ago.

Thanks for posting this as an answer, if you could expand upon what you fixed (wires broken, temperature setting in slicer, etc ) then the answer would be even better.

You're doing great!  Remember you fixed the problem and shared that with the wider community.  Keep it up !

This happened to me once - no plastic would come out, the extruder was jammed. I was stumped as to what was happening, as I couldn't put any filament through the hotend, but it was definitely still hot. The problem: don't ask me how it happened, but a small screw had somehow found its way into the hotend.


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How do I fix infill support in Cura?
I am making this dog feeder.
My goal is to 3D print it using an Ender 3 V2. I am using Cura to slice it.
When I slice it, though, Cura does not see the Top part (Dispenser box) as a solid piece. And when I am slicing it, it does not create an infill for the ramp. I have tried using the infill support option and setting the infill overhang angle to 0, but it still does not create infill support on the ramp. Here are some prints:

Notice that there is no infill under the ramp.
How do I make Cura understand that this is a solid piece?

I'm not an expert at this and maybe someone else will have better insights, but it seems that you did not build it as a solid piece.

I'm also no expert but you can use Meshmixer to make it a solid or import it into Blender and apply a solidify modifier to the mesh.

Is that a set in Cura that could fix this?

Unrelated - consider that your plastic might not be food-safe.

It is standard PLA. How do I find this out?

@user3347814 "Another major concern about PLA being food safe is the tiny holes and cracks that are usually created during 3D printing. These holes and cracks can provide a place for the harmful germs and ground for bacteria to grow and can be quite dangerous in the future." Plus another couple points at https://3dmonstr.com/is-pla-food-safe/.

I've followed the link in the question and exported the dispenser box and sliced it in Ultimaker Cura 4.12.1 and it will slice just fine.

From a comment on the answer from the OP I've learned later that the model has been fixed. So the issue was related to the model/STL file, not an issue with Cura.

That is because I've fixed the problem in the project. I've awarded the right answer for the effort.


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Is it normal for belt tension to differ between sides of a CoreXY printer?
When I pluck the belts of my CoreXY printer, I feel significantly different tension between the two idlers on the back and the tension on the sides, between the gear on the stepper shaft and the idler on the back.
Is this normal? If not, what could be the cause?
For reference, I'm using this support for the idlers:

The belt tension can be adjusted at the carriage.

If you are referring to the tension in a single belt, but ar different positions, the tension is everywhere the same. It is one belt, the force/tension is the same in the belt. If the length of the belt is shorter because of a carriage to idler, the plucked sound may differ but the tension is the same.
If you are referring to different belts, e.g. the top versus the bottom belt, for CoreXY machines, the tension in the two separate belts should be equal to allow equal force pulling the carriage. If uneven, this may lead to incorrect/skew prints or binding of linear bearings (from experience). A typical layout of the mechanism is shown below. Note that there are several solutions for placing the belts; they can be in the same plane (where the belts cross in the back, as depicted below) or have the belt each in their own plane (as in the HyperCube Evolution design as depicted in the image of the question).

Drawing published by Ilan E. Moyer, taken from http://corexy.com.
For both options, incorrect belt tension causes for different forces onto the the printhead carriage and result in a torque on the carriage (either in X-Y or in X-Z). E.g. a tight blue belt with a less tight red belt cause a resulting counter-clockwise torque on the carriage in the image below:

I use a tool (gauge) to determine the tension to compare both belts and make sure the tension in both is the same:

Many CoreXY designs can adjust the tension of the belts at the carriage by screws. Some designs feature the stepper in the back and an adjustable pulley in the front.

Have you calibrated it or are you just using it for comparison?

@FarO For comparison, the tool has a scale on it, so you could use it for calibration as well if you measure the spring tension versus displacement.

Actually in the HEVO design the motor mounts are identical left and right and the distance between belt and motor face is 2:1: 22 mm and 11 mm. If the motor shaft is designed to withstand 6.7 pounds at 17 mm distance to ensure lifespan for the bearings, the resulting belt tension should be in a ratio 2:1 as well between the belts... https://benchtopmachineshop.blogspot.com/2019/04/printer-belt-tension.html

The belts of a CoreXY should be identical in length and tensioned simultaneously to ensure proper operation. Any slack or springiness difference will result in prints that are askew. In that case, where the tension or springiness cannot be removed, the Marlin firmware allows for compensations for skewing as M-Code 852
https://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M852.html

Well better adjust the belt tension to compensate non-square frame rather than working via software. Usually small adjustments already correct the issue and do not impact the prints

The tension of the belts on CoreXY printers, is always the same in both belts. Since they motion system requires coordinated movement of both belts.
You probably need to re tension them both, also check the length. It needs to be identical.

Welcome to 3D Printing SE and thank you for your contribution. When you get a chance, please take the [tour] to understand how the site works and how it is different than others.

Adjusting the tension of the belt is the way to correct minor skewing. It does not necessarily need to be identical, just more or less comparable


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Ender 3 pro Z axis homing
Whenever the printer homes, the nozzle ends up digging into the bed and causing damage. This also happens when I start prints, the first layer is shoving the nozzle into the bed, this happens every time.
This only happens when the bed is level. It only stops when I lower the bed completely. And when I do it is too far down and the nozzle is about a centimetre away from the bed.
I haven't thought much about it until now as I am thinking of replacing the bed because of the damage.

Have you checked to see if the Z-axis sensor has moved? Has this been happening all the time, i.e. since you bought it, or did this just recently happen? If so, did you change anything?

When my ender homes Z, it has moved the platform out of the way so the nozzle can go below the platform without touching it.

Sounds like you have incorrectly set up your machine, specifically the Z offset.
Or your Z endstop is physically too low and not set up properly.
I'd suggest recalibrating your machine from the start as that would help dial it in as well as potentially solve this issue.
I recommend following this guide at the Teaching Tech 3D Printer Site - it's extremely good. (there's also a page for troubleshooting different issues including testing your Endstops to confirm they are working)
Good Luck. 3D printers can be hella finickity but all in good fun.


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Weird wall patterns on Ender 3 Pro
I have an Ender 3 Pro with a 3D printed direct drive extruder on it. After switching to the direct drive, I noticed weird lines and patterns forming. I've tried everything imaginable, besides it getting well slightly better at hiding the imperfections with black filament, it really hasn't gotten any better.
I have double-checked all bolts, calibrated E-steps, flow, X- Y- Z-axes, tightened all the belts, dried out my brand new filament, etc., and it is still there. I've also noticed that this pretty much only happens on straight walls or smaller models. For example, my mask printed just fine, while these test cubes look like trash. Here are a few pictures of the problem:

Can you be more specific about your "printed direct drive extruder"? Is it just a bracket to move the original extruder to sit on top of the toolhead, or are there new mechanical (gear, idler, etc.) parts involved in actually moving the filament?

Its just a bracket and thats it

See if this looks like what you are seeing and if the test pieces (sliced with single wall and no infill) give you anything interesting: https://mihaidesigns.com/pages/inconsistent-extrusion-test

Thats exactly what im experiencing only problem is i do not have a dual gear extruder. Im gonna read through this one more time though ive only seen the video by mihai

I don't have an answer sorry, but want to say Thank You for a well-written and illustrated question.


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Ender 3 V2 error message
I bought an Ender 3 V2 printer and printed successfully with PLA and PLA+. Ender 3 V2 is rated at <= 250 °C but when I set temperature above 200 °C to print to PLA+, I get an error message "Nozzle is too lowperature" and the printer freezes (the term lowperature is actual and not a typo error).
I tried to raise the temperature gradually. I started at 200 °C and have gone to 205 °C and a little bit more. I started printing and I might get this message again or might not. Also, the temperature seems to change or lower while printing. It is not stable.
Any suggestions as to what causes this unstable behavior?

Following the above behavior, I was able to raise the temperature to 213 °C and I was printing for 10 minutes or so, then I got the message "thermal runaway".

I managed to capture the event here

A quick Google search shows some Reddit posts talking about a bad thermistor. You may need to contact either Creality or the store you purchased the printer from.

@agarza That sounds as an answer!

Can you remove the fan cover on the print head, and show what it looks like ?  I'm expecting a sharp kink in the thermister wiring which is messing up its readings.  Or it might be faulty internally.

@Criggie I removed the fan cover but there is nothing out of order there. The fan works ok and the cables are firmly screwed on the head.

@agarza I will contact the store

This sounds like a bad thermistor. Try replacing the head thermistor, see if this fixes it.
As for the strange error message, it looks like the word Temperature is being drawn on the wrong line, and then "is too low" writes over it.
See the way the word lines up below:
nozzle temperature
is too lowperature

Strange message, see message on display here.

If the newline character were missing, it would look more like "nozzle temperatureis too low" On these types of LCD screens, text is drawn progressively. Characters are grouped into words and are drawn in order. If the Y position of the word "temperature" were to be shifted down by one line (problem in the firmware), it would be drawn first, and then "is too low" would be drawn over it, regardless of word position.

The problem was solved after the supplier replaced the motherboard.
However after that I had to try various versions of firmware as different ones had different behavior to the printer.
If you face a similar situation be aware of the cabling and connections when changing the motherboard. You may have to do the plugins twice to be sure that they are correctly attached.


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Ender 3 Pro elephant's foot
I recently got an Ender 3 Pro and had a blast with it for the first few days, but then I got greedy for a better print and threw off my calibration with some "upgrades" and ended up with some really nasty elephant's foot. The first 3 mm are all bubbly and uneven as if someone heated it up and squished it slightly.
I've read the other forums and have made sure my belts are tight, my bed is perfectly level, and my filament is just fine. I've tried using rafts to take the blow from the deformity and that usually helps but even with my initial layer horizontal expansion setting turned to -1, I'm still getting a little bit for flaring on the base layer on the raft.
The upgrades I got were an aluminum extruder housing (single drive) and Capricorn tubing.

After addressing the comments, now my corners on bigger prints come up and commonly fail even bed level tests... and the prints that do work (that I do print on a raft) are incredibly weak and break when I pull it off.
Furthermore, I’ve been fixing several things like suggested in comments and nothings worked, now for the most part every part I’ve printed that’s  longer then 2 hours has failed.

Yes that is brand new capricorn tubing... the old fittings dug through my old tube and caused the filament to melt in the tube and ruin it.

That is not a defect called elephant's foot! Look into question: "PLA Issue printing first 3 mm with Ender 3 Pro".

I wonder if there is a known/accepted term for the defect shown in the first photo... if not then we should coin one (assuming, of course, that it has a known and reproducible cause)? Maybe something with alteration - like "bubbly base", or (even better) bubbly bottom? Regardless, the title of the question should be changed.

The following is from the article "Elephant's Foot - Easy Fixes" on All3DP.com

As we’ve explained, elephant’s foot most often occurs as the result of an uncooled first layer. If the  temperature  of the print bed is too high, or if there’s insufficient  cooling, the first layer may not cool properly, causing elephant’s foot.
Here are a few things to try to reduce or even completely resolve elephant’s foot on your prints:

Level the print bed and adjust your nozzle:  Before trying anything else, make sure your printing conditions are ideal. Sometimes elephant’s foot is simply the result of an unleveled build plate or an incorrect nozzle height. These issues both cause the first layer to be squished too far down, forcing it to bulge out. Fortunately, they’re easy to fix, as both  leveling the build plate and slightly increasing the nozzle height (in your  slicer) are simple and quick.
Lower bed temperature:  Incrementally lower the temperature of your bed by 5 °C until it successfully prints without any bulging. If you lower it by more than 20 °C outside the recommended temperature and the problem isn’t getting better, the elephant’s foot is likely to be caused by something else.
Print with a raft:  Because the problem exists between the first layer and the bed, a  raft  can take the hit for you. This is less of a solution and more of a workaround, but it can be very helpful if, for example, you really need one piece to slot into another.
Add chamfers to your model: In some rare cases, elephant’s foot can be extremely difficult to get rid of. Instead of tweaking your printer, it may be easier to simply alter the model. By putting a small 45° chamfer on the bottom edge of the print, the effects of the elephant’s foot can be mitigated.

There is also a great YouTube video "Smooth Top Surface and No Elephants Foot Using Cura 4.7.1" from CHEP:

I had a similar problem on my Ender 3 V2 and followed the above information and cured my issues.

Looking at the image of the OP, this doesn't look like elephant's foot.

@0scar good catch, I hadn't seen that before. I just went off the OP's mention of elephant's foot. Flag as duplicate?

The image is not very clear, but I'm pretty convinced that it is not elephant's foot, but I'm unsure if my linked question is the solution. Let's await for a better image or an update of the question.

I have 2 Ender 3 Max printers.  Both suffered elephant's foot after the initial setup.  After trying virtually every suggestion available on the internet I eventually was able to fix them.  Assuming the bed is properly leveled, I feel the most common causes are:

Too much tension on the X-axis guide wheels on the right side of the printer
Too little tension on the X-axis belt (it should be quite tight)
Over extrusion. If your initial layers still look rough (bumpy) along the edges it may be from the excess filament. Even after careful calibration, I had to back off the E-steps by -3 (to 95). The change was dramatic!

Both printers now print the XYZ calibration cube within 0.1 mm (0.003").
Hope this helps.

Did you mean the Z-axis guide wheels?


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I suddenly can't get any bed adhesion at all on my Ender 3
I got up this morning and went to start a 13-hour print, but when it went to print the raft the PLA filament wouldn't adhere at all to the bed. It seemed to just bunch up around the nozzle. I don't think it's a leveling issue as I just leveled the bed prior to starting. Any idea why this is happening?

While there are lots of possible issues here (especially leveling related if you just leveled), I've come to believe the go-to answer for anthing "suddenly" going wrong in 3D printing should probably be "wet filament". Is it possible your filament has been contaminated by moisture?

I printed with the same spool yesterday without any issues, so unlikely to be wet filament.

I've been using it a lot lately, is it possible that it's a nozzle issue?

If you've been using abrasive filament, the nozzle could be worn.  If the nozzle is clogged or at the wrong temperature, you could have an underextrusion problem.

In that case I think it's more likely that you got the leveling wrong when re-leveling. Having the nozzle too close or too far from the bed will give you adhesion problems.

Just another 2 cents, have you cleaned the build plate? Sometimes oils or excessive/old adhesives can inhibit the proper adhesion.

nevermind I resolved it

@agarza I wipe it down after leveling because for some reason the feeler gauges are oiled.

Glad you found a solution. Remember to post it as an "answer" then in 24 hours you can accept it.

what if the issue turned out to be completely unrelated to the original question? excuse me as lm new to using stack.

That would still be an answer, potentially helpful for others stumbling upon your question.

unlikely since it was more me not checking the filament feed for jams lol


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Does abrasive filament require a special hotend?
I know that you need a special nozzle to extrude abrasive filament (carbon fibre, copper, ...). I do have such a nozzle (coated steel) and am printing carbon fibre and copper filament. Last time I used it to print carbon fibre PLA. It worked well, however when I removed the nozzle from the hotend I realized that I could no longer screw the non-abrasive nozzle in (the dirt cheap 0.1$ china nozzles that work well enough for most materials) and the thread of the hotend was completely loosened up.
I had been working on a few other things with my printer, so I am not entirely sure what caused the thread to become loose, but I was wondering, are there some requirements to the hotend excluding the nozzle when printing abrasive filament?

Empirically speaking the answer is yes. Printed a few millimeters of copper filament and immediately the hot end was completely messed up

Abrasive filaments require a stronger nozzle indeed. They also require an all-metal hotend. If your hotend wasn't all-metal, there's a good chance you've damaged it.
The PEEK/PTFE in your hotend doesn't like going above 240 Celsius and tends to be irreparably damaged if used too long above 250 Celsius.

Interestingly my PTFE tube has been working well for very long periods of 260° polycarbonate printing, but it probably never got this hot near the PTFE tube. My hotend is all metal, still the threads the nozzle is screwed in somehow wear out almost instantly...

my orginal v6 with ptfe tube is printing with 285° (PC CF Blend) for about 40 hours straight - no problem at all.

@Rufinus The tube isn't the problem, it's about the lining in the hotend. The heater block.

The hotend itself consists of basically 3 parts:

The filament path, aka Coolend. It consists of the heartbreak, cooling solution and anything up from it.
The heater block, that holds everything together
The nozzle, in which the filament melts and is pushed out.

The part of the hotend assembly that gets to be in the most contact with the particles that are inside the abrasive filament is the nozzle through which the molten polymer gets out. Unless you have heat creep and the filament melts in the heartbreak, it is the only part that ever will encounter the abrasive particles even.
Since even the most abrasive filaments come as rather smooth filaments, only the nozzle needs to be special. Hardened Steel will hold some kilos, while people printing a lot of carbonfiber filled material swear on ruby nozzles.

It is really weird, when I use my stell nozzle and print just a little bit of abrasive filament the thread in the metal hotend the nozzle is screwed into becomes loose and is essentially no longer threaded...

That sounds odd, as the threads are outside of the heartbreak. Or do you mean the part comes loose? You need to hot-tighten nozzles before use: heat to 240°C, then tighten the nozzle against the heartbreak. Only then print. Btw, if you print something higher temperature than ABS, your hot-tighten temperature goes up


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3D Printing - Cylinder printing has holes - why? How to print with internal supports - Ultimaker Cura
Blender and 3D printing beginner here.
First of all I'm using Ultimaker Cura and Blender of course, with an Ender 3 Pro to print.
I need to print this cylinder with extruded paths. How do I go about it? I'm struggling to set the printer to support the structure internally. The blue on this image is an external support. The grey parts at the top of the half cylinder laying down is just absent of filament, so when I print this it gets to this point and basically breaks.
So how can I fix this? I used a solidify modifier in Blender but it doesn't seem to make a difference if I do or don't..
Any help would be much appreciated

Have you tried printing this in the position that's in the bottom right? It's possible your overhangs won't work, but the rest should print just fine.

Blender tends to have inverted surfaces. It appears that the outer shell is pretty much "inside out" - what for blender doesn't matter, is crucial for Cura.

@Trish that's the solution, many questions similar to this one have been caused by Blender. Didn't you wrote a previous elaborate answer? Maybe we could link it here, or possibly flag for duplicate.

https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/15881/8884 & https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/14525/8884

please [edit] the question with a picture of the preview of the models, as that shows what might lead to the errors you are seeing to the knowing eye. Another way would be to share the model so others can inspect it.


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K-Thermistor vs Ender 3 Stock Thermistor: Problem with bad reads
I have changed my hotend on my Ender 3 v2 with Dragonfly BMS.
In effect, because I wanted to reach higher temperatures, I also changed the thermistor with one that is 3mm wide and does not have the bead shape.

This is what it looks like

The connector is the same as the Creality Ender 3 v2 one (JST).
It was listed as "HT-NTC 100K 3950 Thermistor for Reprap Hot-End" and "Working temperature: -50 °C ~ +350 °C, can replace the original K-thermistor. Suitable for printing high temperature filaments."
I replaced the stock one and did a PID callibration.
However, when I attempted to print parts, first I observed bubbles and degradation of the fillament (PETG at 240 and PLA at 200). I tried lowering the temperature and it started printing well (PETG)  at 200 C, which obviously is way too low. Same goes for PLA, which I can't print over 170.
Here's the  product on amazon
Does anyone have experience with this kind of problem? I have access to modifying Marlin firmware. I am not sure if this is a different type of temperature sensor.
I'm using OCTOPRINT to see the temperature.
When the sensors are off the hot end reports 22.1 degrees while the bed reports 22.

Are you using Octoprint? Can you somehow check temperatures chart?

Forgot to say. I'm using octoprint.

Even if it works properly (which it seems not to do), this type of thermistor will only have a resistance of around 100 Ohms at 350°C, which is too low to be useful in your printer. It is rather suspicious that the seller does not specify an accuracy for the thermistor, so it is probably of a low accuracy, which will make things even worse. I am not surprised that you are getting poor results with it.
Maybe use a Platinum RTD, instead of a thermistor. A PT1000 RTD will have a temperature of 1000 Ohms at 0°C, and so should be usable in your printer without needing an amplifier board. E3D-Online sell one that is rated up to 500°C. You will need to change the sensor type in your printer's firmware, which will probably mean recompiling and re-flashing the firmware.
I used this thermistor calculator to calculate the expected resistance at 350°C.

This is a great answer. So if I'd calculate the resistance needed at (say) 300 C,  how would I tell the software  (aka Marlin) about it? I don't intend to go beyond 300 now. I changed the thermistor because the old o ne would not fit in the new block. From what I read the stock ender 3 has similar properties.

You can define your own temperature tables in both Marlin and Repetier-Firmware, but this is not something that I have ever done. Note that the formula that is used in the calculator that I linked to is only an approximation, and it may not give useful values at higher temperatures. There are various formulae for calculating NTD thermistor resistances. If you bought a pack of several thermistors, I would suggest that you measure their resistances at room temperature, and use the one that is closest to 100 kilo-Ohms.

The problem, of course, with creating your own temperature tables (apart from finding out how to do it) is how to check that you have got it right. People used to argue about the accuracy of the tables provided in 3D printer firmware.

That is correct. I have no leverage on this besides what the seller did(n't) offer. Thanks a lot. I will roll with the bodge before my PT1000 arrives.


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Should I cure my 3D printed resin model before or after sanding down imperfections?
When printing a 3D model on a resin printer should I sand down imperfections and marks left by supports before or after curing?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of doing it either way?

how soft is your uncured print?  does sandpaper sand it, or just mush the material around and clog the sandpaper ?

It's soft enough to be easily scratched by accident, but 1000 grit does not clog.

Postprocessing AFTER Curing
Liquid or not fully cured Resin is a skin irritant and should not be handled without gloves. Exposure to it is to be reduced to an absolute minimum.
To make sure you work with an inert chunk, you need to first wash and then cure your items before handling any postprocessing, such as sanding. Only this way you can avoid getting in contact with any liquid resin in case any spot inside is not cured, possibly due to enclosed cavities or places that were not reachable by washing but which might be exposed during postprocessing.
As a side effect, abrasive post-processing works much more evenly, the less ductile and more even the material is. As an example, woods that have very hard and very soft rings interchanging, are a pain to sand smoothly without the aid of a contraption and do sand differently with than sideways to the grain, while even materials like steel file smoothly in all directions. A fully cured resin print is much more monolithic than a raw print.

With a modern resin printer the models are semi cured upon printing. The resin is solid but soft and loses its irritant properties. It just needs a wash to clean off liquid resin.

eh... no. If there is any bubble of uncured resin in the model, and you open that by sanding, you end up with a mess. THAT is why you cure before.

If something like that happens then you really should be looking at your print settings. That's absolutely not normal.

It is not normal, but the basic laboratory and manufacturing rules say: better safe than sorry. I have gotten prints from a friend who thought he would do a favor by hollowing out the model and having the resin drain to reduce weight. Good idea generally. However, the hole clogged during washing and the center did not drain, and as a result there was uncured resin coming out from them when I opened up a hole to mount another part. Things like that are why you want to cure through before any postprocessing.

This is getting off topic. I'm only really interested to know whether I can better sand down imperfections while the resin is soft or should I harden it first. Everything else is another question..

@AaarghZombies Something that is soft is hard to sand, so make it as hard as possible for abrasive post processing. E.g. vibrating disc saws do not cut your skin, but work fine on wood and metal.


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Extruder motor freezing
I recently upgraded from a Creality 4.2.7 controller board to a BigTreeTech SKR E3 Turbo and touch screen. When power is applied, the extruder motor turns slightly, then freezes and has a low humming noise with the shaft locked up, the only way to stop it is to unplug it.
The hotend is a Micro Swiss direct drive set up in an Ender 3. So the motor has been used for about a year and worked fine. All of the other motors work fine, but the extruder motor is behaving like this, it hasn't worked at all in this current set up. I can't pinpoint if it's a firmware issue or if something is shorted on the mainboard.
I’ve tried all of the basics, flip-flopped all of the pins around/checked the wiring, all seems correct. I tried a different 42-40 motor and got the same result. All the other motors work fine so I think it might be firmware but I don’t really know. Any help is appreciated!
See this link for a video of the issue.

I'm unfamiliar with this type of extruder, could you please explain why the blue tube goes up and down, is that supposed to do that? Or is it getting into the gear?

Sorry for not clarifying, its a microswiss direct drive set up in an ender 3. So the motor has been used for about a year and worked fine. I just switched from the reality 4.2.7 board to an SKR E3 Turbo board and touch screen. All of the other motors work fine, but the extruder motor is behaving like this, hasnt worked at all in this current set up. I cant ID if its a firmware issue or if something is shorted on the mainboard

Unplugging the motor? That's a very bad idea and can destroy the motor and/or driver/board. You should power off the entire printer or use the "disable steppers" command on the menu.

@R..GitHubSTOPHELPINGICE Good comment, but let's hope the OP unplugs the power cord!


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Looking for 3D filament thats compatiable with HHO-oxyhydrogen and NaOH sodium hydroxide -lye
I'm testing a HHO generator (oxyhydrogen - browns gas generator) and I use 1% NaOH solution (sodium hydroxide -lye).  I made some M8 threaded adapters for it using PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate glycol) which works for storage.  But I notice the M8 threaded adapters starting to disintegrate when the generator is running.  Does anyone know of a low cost filament that will work with a HHO generator (oxyhydrogen - browns gas generator) and a 1% NaOH solution (sodium hydroxide -lye).

I'm not using glass in the main generator
I'm using 2 bubblers for safety with flashback arrestor.
The printer I have access to is a Prusa Mk3s FDM
The HHO generator doesn't use more than 2 amps to generate HHO so the device is cool to the touch (not much heat is generated)

This is what some of the M8 PETG adapters look like.

https://pawplus.wordpress.com/3d-designs-page-2/
Thanks

Worth noting that sodium hydroxide will etch glass.

Polypropylene should be good, and relatively easy to print. Prinsco rate its resistance to NaOH as A-Excellent.
Ultimaker provide a useful guide to the chemical resistance properties of 3D printing filaments.

Looks interesting my only concern is that it looks semi-flexible and may not be-able to print the M8 threads

@RickT 3DInsider give a good run-down on PP filament. It looks like you can forget about it being "relatively easy" to print, though. My mistake. Nylon is another possibility, but its chemical resistance will not be as good as PP.

Semi-flexible tends to only be flexible when the material is thin.  At that thickness material that isn't flexible tends to break.

PETG should work.  It appears you are using electrolysis of a NaOH solution to generate hydrogen and oxygen.  It will start getting soft at 100 °C.  Looking at your design it wouldn't be very flexible.  If you made a beaker with 1 mm walls, the walls would tend to be flexible.  2 mm+ walls would tend to be rigid.  Think of water bottle material.

@PerryWebb PETG "should work" in my physical tests PETG does not work in the generator (I already tried).  The adapters break down after 2 or 3 days..  Also the liquid doesn't get hot, it only increases 5-10 degrees warmer than room temperature.    I'm looking into Polypropylene and the different blend types like @Mick said

Is the degradation only the adapters, and is it all the adapters?

@PerryWebb Yes, any thing made in PETG.(which are the adapters and top cap break down).  I just finished a test with some of the adapters soaking using PETG in the 1% NaOH solution for a week and no break down.   But it breaks down when running electrolysis with the same 1% NaOH solution after a day or two...Now I see why I didn't go into chemistry and stuck to programming hahah.  ;-)    I'm thinking the combination of H2 and O2 may be reacting with the PETG in some strange plastic Hydrogen embrittlement way.  I'm getting these same cracks...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement

Also...https://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/39405/InTech-Degradation_and_recyclability_of_poly_ethylene_terephthalate_.pdf

Any chance the electrodes are getting hot.

@PerryWebb I plan on ordering a thermocouple to have a better way of monitoring the temperature, but I've ordered PP to at-least get me going again.

To use a thermocouple you will probably need one that goes with a hand-held meter, at least one that floats, that is not plugged into an AC outlet.  It's easier to use an optical pyrometer; same principle as the thermometers used to measure temperature pointed to the forehead or in the ear.


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Issue with Ender 3 bed
I have an Ender 3 and I'm experiencing an issue where it won't print on the edges. Near the outside of the bed plastic just peels away. Bed is level - verified multiple times.
The nozzle appears to be dragging the freshly extruded filament away before it has a chance to cool. Straight lines and wide curves print well about 30 % of the time, and sharp corners and curves won't print at all.
The printer works fine in the center, but the outer 3 cm or so are unusable. Not sure what could cause this. I leveled the bed multiple times - even told the printer to move without touching it, just to eliminate incorrect leveling by slight play in the rollers. Head is the same distance from the plate in the center as it is along the edges. No irregular high or low areas - bed is perfectly flat.
Is this a known issue with the Ender 3? How can it be fixed?
I am using the stock fiberglass bed with the BuildTak surface.

Can you flip the print surface and try the other side ?  I'm not familiar with that one.    Have you cleaned it with IPA ?

I didn't know it needed to be cleaned. Ill try that.

Cleaning is one option. You can also try adding some glue stick which in my experience works quite well. Another option is to make the nozzle go closer to the bed even by about 0.1 mm. I had to do this many times since different materials stick differently. So when I switched from PETG to ABS I had to go closer. The downside is that you may introduce othe (mostly visual) problems to the first layer auch as elephant's foot or squished lines.

Couple other suggestion (besides cleaning/leveling/etc) would be:  check the heating maybe.  Pretty sure the bed heats from the center and I wonder if its not, and/or not making its way all the way out to the edge.
Also what material?  Is it warping up from the outside?  Or is it not warping and its just not staying put?

It's not warping, just not staying put. It is PLA. The heater goes under the entire bed.

Have you put a straight edge (like in a metal ruler on its side) to see if it is completely flat?

@oscar, yes the bed is flat.

I used to have the same problem. Put masking or scotch tape on the bed, it should help with adhesion. I think the problem is that the bed is very dirty with finger grease and other things.

It sounds like it may be due to uneven heating. Check with an IR thermometer to make sure. If you're sure the bed is clean and has even heating, you may want to try a different surface. G10 is cheap and almost always perfectly flat.

Ive replaced the bed with a glass bed, this issue still persists, although not nearly as much. The bed is completely flat now. Theres a new problem: the nozzle has to be almost scraping against the plate for filament to stick.

Try reducing the print speed and cleaning the bed with acetone before each print.

Welcome to 3D.SE! This sounds more like a comment than a full-fledged answer. Could you expand on this a bit more? Also, the cleaning portion of your answer was already given in a previous answer. Please take a look at the [How to write a good answer] page to get some ideas on how to improve this answer.


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Ender 3 V2 & BLTouch with Jyers firmware not compensating
I got the Jyers firmware to upgrade my Ender 3 V2 and added a BLTouch. I got it up and running, followed most of the tutorials on the internet and videos, and uncommented all that was needed. The BLTouch is doing its work creating the mesh values, HOWEVER, when the print is started the Z-axis does not move.
We managed to make it move once but no idea why it moved (to compensate for the mesh variations)
Right now we are stuck with the printer not considering the mesh for printing
To summarize, I followed each detail from this tutorial: https://teachingtechyt.github.io/upgrades.html#bltouch
Double-checked, triple-checked
I tried G29 after G28 and G420 S1 after G28 and made no difference. I know there is the need to store the mash in EEPROM in order to be used.
In 2 tests, we say the Z-axis doing its thing, but when we tried to put filament (running with none) prepare for a full test it stopped working.
This is a new printer fully working, it is a problem with the firmware and/or the way we are using it.
All the other functions of the firmware are working perfectly. Actually, we upgraded another printer where the BLTouch did not work either but we manually aligned and it is doing printing for hours.
Jyers v1.3.5.b using the source code and compiled on PlatformIO

If you Home All, do the X and Y axes home but not the Z-axis?


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OctoPi and sub-recommended hardware spec?
I have an Ender 3 V2 running off a Raspberry Pi and Octoprint, and it works.   I'm trying to tune the prints and improve output, and I'm not sure how much impact the Pi has on the print quality.
The Pi I have is below recommended specs, being a "Raspberry Pi Model B Plus Rev 1.2" with 512 MB ram.  This has one 700 MHz ARM CPU core, and the load average suggests it is CPU-bound
00:30:54 up 8 days, 16:25,  1 user,  load average: 1.88, 1.62, 1.69

Memory usage is fine, with 84 MB used out of 366 MB available, so it's not RAM-bound.
I have a USB webcam working too, and while I can watch a print in progress, the box cannot deal with processing timelapse.  It takes over an hour to process an hour's timelapse footage, so I had to disable that.
The documentation for OctoPrint states

Recommended hardware: Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+ or 4B. Expect print artifacts and long loading times with other options, especially when adding a webcam or installing third-party plugins. Setups not using recommended hardware are not officially supported.
Raspberry Pi Zero W is not recommended explicitly.

Question:  What kind of quality issues can arise from running OctoPrint on an under-specced Pi?   And would my print quality improve with a higher-specced print server?

It's roughly a 3-4 month lead time for any Pi boards at this time, so not expected till 2022.

Just one data point: I did not notice any quality changes moving from a 3B+ to a 4B, but user experience in terms of loading times improved significantly.
I'm running two Marlin printers, one Klipper printer, one CNC and two webcam streams from it.

One of my printers, a Prusa i3 style printer, runs perfectly fine with a RPi 2B. No noticable defects, I'm also using it to stream a camera.


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Creality Ender 3 v2 and BLTouch v3.1 - issues with x, y axis - crashing to the printer's frame
after installing BLTouch v3.1 on my Creality Ender 3 v2, I am facing the issue with x and z axis. During auto bed leveling seems like printer is trying to go outside x, y position of bed and make levelling there. By doing that it is crashing to printer's frame. It is happening for x and also y axis movement. Could you please help me how to solve this issue? My motherboard is v4.2.2, I've tested many different firmwares (official, also not official) but situation is still the same and I am not able to make auto bed levelling successfully. Printing itself is working fine. Thank you.
Youtube video to show behaviour and crashing to the fram
Images of the board connection, BLTouch version etc.:
https://ibb.co/BZbLFDY
https://ibb.co/4tHN5c8
https://ibb.co/jHGdCZX
https://ibb.co/4Yp9ZBW
https://ibb.co/Q9VQWxJ
https://ibb.co/nn8W2C4

Please add the images to the post... see How to upload an image to a post?

Not sure, but SEEMS like it must be a firmware issue.  I.e. if you can tell it to do any one individual thing and it works fine (tell it to move z up or down, set z offset, etc..) but then the bed leveling procedure is all crazy I assume that must be in the firmware.  Somewhere around either the bed size it thinks you have or the specific bed leveling procedure you chose.  Have you made any progress on this?

unfortunately, there is no progress to solve it. I've tried official/ unofficial images/firmwares but behavior is still the same. X, Y, Z movement is working fine if I am doing it manually via the menu. Not sure, what's going on here ...


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Cable Chain lubrication?
I recently upgraded my Ender 3 V2 to use a Micro Swiss Direct Drive and extruder.  with the layout change, comes a lot of cable management changes, especially to prevent the cables from getting pinched between the stepper motor and the frame at the very limits of x or z
I've started with some various cable chain things, like:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4932649
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2920060
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4568608

and adapted them to work for me.  They're all printed in PLA, and they are a little "creaky" sometimes, or otherwise "stick" and don't freely rotate/hinge as much as I'd like.
Is there some kind of lubrication I can/should use? I tried some graphite powder spray and really all it seems to have done is make a mess and stain the links of the chain black :D
The closest thing I think I can find with some info is this Reddit thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/7d4rhi/good_lubricants_for_enclosed_pla_gearbox/
but it's from ~4 years ago.  A fair amount of the things I'm finding are contradictory, as the internet always is :D

The first thing that came to mind was white lithium grease, but I don't know if that would react in any way to the PLA. Maybe someone with greater experience could chime in on this.

I use that middle one you linked to. Did you clean up the surfaces with a sharp knife or piece of fine sandpaper and check for free movement before final assembly? If so, perhaps it depends on the particular PLA used.

if knife and file just expose more rough, make printed surfaces smoother by ironing.

Lubrication of PLA printed parts is answered here. With respect to the lubrication it can be considered a duplicate.

@0scar: That answer does not address PLA specifically, for which nearly any lubricant should be fine. It's about "plastics" in general and aimed at ABS/ASA and similar materials not compatible with petrol derived oils.

FDM printed chain links are inherently rough. This roughness results in friction, which directly results in squeaking, creaking, and other noise as well as uneven movement as it snags.
An injection-molded cable chain is best, and you need to have the right bending radius for the cables you use.
If you need to use printed parts, including some non-printed smooth bushings in between the printed parts is the most effective way to have smooth movement.


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Manually provide the number of steps to be executed by a drive (RepRap firmware 3.3)
I am writing an M-code for a new algorithm to reduce vibrations during printing. After a bit of preprocessing, my algorithm spits out the number of steps for each drive. Is there any way I can provide these steps directly to the drives to be executed?
E.g. instead of providing G0 X5I would like to send Some_G_code X400 which basically says the x drive should move 400 steps which would result in the same move as G0 X5, assuming 80 steps/mm.

Have you tried setting steps per mm to 1?

How is this going to work when you need to be coordinating motions of multiple motors in sync?

@Mick I can't do that since I do not want my input (400 in the eg) to go through any segmentation preprocessing etc. I would just like to give it as a command to the stepper drivers.

@R..GitHubSTOPHELPINGICE they will be provided to the stepper driver in the same order as to maintain the step time order

@HDEV5: Just knowing order lacks sufficient information to control the relative timing. You should probably look at how Klipper does this.

@R..GitHubSTOPHELPINGICE Could you provide me a link for reading?


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I dried my filament because it wouldn't adhere properly but now it adheres a bit too well
I dried my spool of PLA this morning to solve adhesion issues and proceeded to print the model that failed due to the aforementioned issues. But when it was done and I went to remove it from the bed, it wouldn't budge; even the scraper that comes with the Ender 3 didn't help. I require immediate assistance.

I see that you solved your problem, but if you have PLA adhering so tight that it's hard to get off or looks like it's damaging your bed surface, you probably have your nozzle too close to the bed and/or your bed too hot. Check your leveling to avoid having the same thing happen again, leading to premature bed surface wear.

I removed the mat from the bed and popped the print off


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Possible to get G34 auto align and IDEX with Ender 3 Pro and BTT E3 RRF?
Long story I'll try to bullet point to speed up so bear with me:

I have a heavily modded Ender 3 Pro
Relevant mods for this question: Control board swapped for BTT E3 RRF, Dual Z motor, BLTouch
Ultimately I'd love to convert the Ender 3 pro to have IDEX, probably after I make it bigger with an Ender extender kit, but it's cool if it takes a long time
Whether or not its easier to just build a large printer with IDEX (rather than continually changing my Ender 3) is a different question, but I just like modifying my printer.  I like learning along the way
Right when I got my BTT E3 RRF and my dual Z motor, I thought it'd be awesome to be able to do G34 auto alignment, much like Teaching Tech describes in this video. The BTT E3 RRF has a port for a second Z-axis motor so I thought I was good
Come to find out that (I believe) the second port on the board is actually just driven off the same driver, I don't believe it can be controlled separately (correct me if I'm wrong).
Somewhere on the internet I read that if you get the IDEX expansion board from BTT it can do that, so before I researched further, I bought one.
And as you can see in this video from Aurora Tech, you can do indeed do G34 with the IDEX board.
The problem is, it looks like in that video she actually plugs the Z motor into the slot meant for the extruder motor.

Which brings me to my question:
I want both. I want to be able to do G34 but also eventually run a fully functioning IDEX. I've already bought both the BTT E3 RRF and the IDEX board....   am I out of luck?  Do you need an Octopus board or something? Or is there a way to do both with the hardware I have now?

The basic RRF board has a single Z driver which connects to two Z stepper sockets.
In order to individually drive two steppers, you need an optional stepper driver like in a dedicated Z2 stepper driver or a spare E1 driver to function as the second Z driver. The basic RRF board only has four drivers, so this board alone will not bring the functionality of individual driven Z steppers.
The extension board for support of IDEX gives access to another two stepper drivers, an X2 and a E1. Both are required for the second X-axis, so this expansion board will not give you a spare for the second Z driver.
With the boards you acquired you can therefore not have both dual individual driven Z screws and an additional X-axis with additional extruder (IDEX) using the current onboard drivers (including the breakout board). You need a board with at least 7 stepper drivers, but, if there are free pins available you could add an additional stepper manually in firmware.

Thank you, I'll have to look at it later to determine if there are free pins.  Do you happen to have any resources (videos/articles etc) for how I would add a stepper if there are free pins?

@JosephCrozier Excellent question, please post it!  On second thoughts, this might answer it. If not, post a question.


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Printing minuscule objects
I am not familiar with 3D printing at all, is it possible to print tiny objects with some 3D printing technology that is available to a consumer audience? I am not talking about microscopic scale, but about say a figurine that is 4mm tall. However, the size required for the eye of the figurine, for instance, would be in the ballpark of 0.5 millimeters (500 microns) in diameter.

The Form 3 (resin, SLA) may be a bit pricey for the general hobbyist, but the resolution and dimensional accuracy goes down to 10 microns (depending on material) in Z and 25 microns in X/Y. I regularly print tiny 1-2" tall figurines and the facial details come out amazing.

Resin
Today's hobby grade resin printers are capable of amazingly tiny detail. The hole is about 1.5 mm diameter, and the pencil point in the photo below is of the same scale as the part. It was farther out of the frame and composited in to provide a better reference.
This part was constructed on request of a train aficionado desiring to have hinges for the freight cars he was building.

Details that are not holes would be more easily accomplished. Depending on the orientation of the figurine, you can get between 0.037 mm and 0.050 mm resolution. This is due to different resolutions in the x/y plane and the z-plane. If the figurine's feature was vertical, the z-resolution could be 0.050 mm but the x/y resolution would be 0.037 mm.
There's a great reference page from Chitubox describing the different technologies as well as a couple photos.

This image is of a model constructed with 0.047 mm resolution. The following image is of a model constructed at 0.100 mm resolution.

Above images from linked site.
FDM™
Referencing the comment below, it should be noted that the above information is specific to resin printers. It is very much different when discussing filament printers. Filament printers (FDM™ or FFF) will have much coarser resolutions. It's typical to have layer thickness (z-resolution) of 0.100 mm. Every one of my FFF printers can print at that resolution.
The x/y resolution is based on the nozzle diameter. The common nozzle is 0.40 mm diameter, limiting the resolution to slightly greater than that, as the filament will bulge as it is extruded.
One can find 0.25 mm nozzles and expect approximately 0.30 mm width of deposited filament. I've read of 0.10 mm nozzles, but once you reach that level, it's time to think of resin printing.
I had attempted to print the door hinge bracket on my FFF printer, using 0.100 mm layer height on a 0.40 mm nozzle. It was a complete mess.

Thank you! To determine whether it is worth a try to print the figure, is Layer Thickness the spec parameter that I should be looking at? For instance, this printer says it has layer thickness of 0.1-0.4mm. This I imagine is the z-resolution, and might correlate approximately with x/y resolution.

edited reply to include filament printer assessment as per your comment. SE does not have direct contact options, otherwise I'd suggest I can create a test print on my resin printer for your own assessment.

@Cel Btw, SLA is the name of the tech here; or MSLA. Those are the common resin printing processes (SLA [e.g. the Form 3] uses a UV laser to scan out each layer, while MSLA [e.g. the Elegoo Mars] uses a UV LCD display to flash the entire layer at once, there's speed vs. quality tradeoffs). FDM (e.g. the Prusa i3) is the kind that draws layers with melted plastic like a plotter. FDM usually has lower res. than [M]SLA but larger volumes, and FDM also uses actual plastic instead of resin approximations. There's sintering and plasma processes too but those are more industrial processes currently.

@JasonC, you'll also noted that FDM™ is a registered trademark, while FFF is the generic description. FDM™ is associated with Stratasys. The processes involved are different between the two systems as well: https://makerindustry.com/fff-vs-fdm/

The smallest nozzle that is in the e3D catalog is 0.15 mm. I'd expect 0.175 mm line width from that. My "detail" printer I run with a 0.2 mm nozzle and 0.25 mm line width / 0.1 mm Layer height.

Also, Further Reading: https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6965 (why to use wider lines than the nozzle), https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6968 (Line Width)


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E3D V6 hotend gets jammed very frequently
In the past couple of weeks, my V6 hotend gets jammed very frequently. The nozzle is 0.4 mm and the printer is a D-Bot.
Here are some of the things I have tried so far,

Switched between the original and a clone and both get jammed.
Tried different heat breaks - the one where the Bowden PTFE tube goes all the way to the nozzle, the one where its an all metal one and the one that has a PTFE liner inside it.
Checked and re-calibrated the E steps and the PID tuning for the nozzle.
Used different filaments (PLA).
Tightened the nozzle against the heat break every time
Tried different printing speeds and also calibrated the extrusion multiplier.
Tried different retraction speeds and lengths.
Ensured that the heat sink is adequately cooled.

What could I be missing?

Is it a genune or a knockoff v6? what are your settings? What material?

Make sure the nozzle body isn't actually touching the heater block. There should be a small gap when it's fully tightened. If there isn't you will need to adjust the hot end/heat break.

@Trish As stated above, I've tried both the genuine and the clone and I'm facing problems with both. Material is PLA, being printed at 200 deg C, 60 deg C heatbed, 60mm/s print speed. Retraction is set at 2mm and retraction speed is 50mm/s.

@BobT The nozzle body is not touching the heater block. I usually insert the heat break first to ensure that the exposed break is right between the heat sink and the block and then add the nozzle.

Did you ever figure this out? I'm having he same problem.

@Biclops not really. I finally gave up and bought a whole new 3D printer. I was done with DIY options.


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Resin layer for adhesion: how should I do it?
Backstory: Like quite a lot of people here, I'm having problems with parts adhering to the build plate of a resin printer.  I've tried everything that I can think of: cleaning & re-sanding the buildplate at 80 grit, levelling the plate with and without a sheet of paper between the plate and LCD, warm resin, and silicone spray on the FEP.

In the answer to this question, Michael Wooten says:

PRO TIP to improve bed adhesion: apply a thin layer of resin to the build platform before you start to print. I have not any failed prints after I started coating the plate with resin.

I was wondering if there was any clarification on this layer of resin:

Should it be cured, partially cured, or left alone?
How thick should it be?

Also, is there any known methodology?  If I paint some resin onto the build plate and cure with a UV lamp, I worry that the layer won't be particularly flat.  I thought about using the "cleaning" function on the printer to shine UV light through, but it would also cure area between the edge of the build plate and the tank.
Any tips on this exact method of making prints stick to the plate would be greatly appreciated!

Update:
I tried again, and it still didn't work.
I left a thin film of resin on the build plate from the previous failed print, and cured it for a minute or two until it felt tacky.  The resin was still warm from last print, so I ran again (after removing the failed pancakes of course) and after a few hours I could see that nothing had printed this time either.  The irritating bit is that the pancakes slide off the FEP pretty easily!

As I understand Michael, that is to ensure there is no air bubble on the bed.

@Trish Oh, I was hoping it'd improve adhesion :(

An air bubble would be no adhesion at all

@Trish yes, of course.  I don't think air bubbles are a problem for me though?  Some bubbles bloop out the side when the plate comes down, rises a bit, then goes down again.  It's a Creality Halot One if that helps.

The whole reason to pre-coat the plate with liquid resin is to ensure, that no air bubbles are left under it and prevent contact of the plate to the resin.
A layer of cured resin throws off your 0.

Is there a way of telling if air bubbles are causing the issue I'm seeing?

a bubble would be a void if you only cure a single layer on all the bed

According to Uncle Jessy (see Youtube channel), you simply need to pour some liquid resin over the build plate and then leave it for a couple of minutes for the worst to drip off. No
He also recommends that the resin should be kept at a warm room temperature and that the bottle be thoroughly shaken before pouring it onto the build plate or into the resin vat.
He also recommends that resin should not be left to sit in the vat for more than a couple of days as it can settle and separate.


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HALOT BOX makes objects with support move up
I'm trying to slice some models using the default HALOT BOX software from Creality, which comes with the Halot One resin 3D printer.
I've oriented them at 45 degrees, and am using supports.  When I come to slice the models, the models all jump up a few millimetres, as seen in the below screenshot.
I thought it was just a UI bug, until the same image also appears on the printer screen, with a gap between the supports and the raft.

If I reset the position of the model, it goes back down as I would expect it to be, but when I click "slice" it moves back up again.

My settings are as follows:

How do I fix this?

height from Raft

@Trish Just tried messing around with that, and it appears that defines how far up the model is moved before the supports are created. You can see in this image that it's touching the bottom, and the "Generate support" button is actually disabled (hard to see, but it is). When put it back to 6mm, it can generate supports and looks like this before trying to slice (after which it jumps up again as per the question).

Have you tried "height from Raft 0.2" for a very tiny gap?

@Trish the lowest it lets me go is 2mm.  I tried that, but it still jumps up, so I tried setting the raft height higher but it still jumps up beyond that as well.  Maybe I need to file a bug report with the developers, but it's a bit annoying I can only use the HALOT BOX software and not something of my choice :(

@Trish So I did what I should have done at the start, and checked for an updated version of the software, which now appears to work!  Annoyingly when I ran "Check for updates" within the software it said I was using the latest version, but there was actually a newer version on the Creality website.

Turns out I was using an old (and buggy) version of the software.
The version I was using came on the supplied USB memory stick and was version 1.9-something.
I downloaded the latest version (2.0-something) off the Creality website and now it doesn't appear to have the same problem.

Thank you for providing this info! I too, have had so many failures because the slicer would raise the supports off of the raft. And you can't tell if its printing anything until a couple hours into the print when it rises out of the resin enough to see if anything is there. So much wasted time on version 1.9!!!


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Why won’t this print adhere after a perfect calibration print?
I am new to 3D printing and have an Ender 5 Pro.
I have manually leveled the bed by setting the nozzle gap to 0.1 mm (via feeler gauges) and then printing a calibration print and manually adjusting the bed height as it prints. I can get perfect calibration prints using both a glass bed and a PEI bed, printing with a bed temp of 75 °C and a nozzle temp of 210 °C:

I’m now trying various other prints without success, as the print doesn’t adhere. See this example of a 1 mm thick bookmark, which I am printing with a brim to try and help :

I’m not sure what the experts here can ascertain from this failed print without all the slicing parameters. I’m a bit suspicious that the print appears to clump and I’m wondering if the soft extruded material is sticking to the PLA already laid down and if so, if I can address that?
I actually seemed to have more success with the original flexible bed with several successful prints.
The G-code for the calibration target: https://pastebin.com/Brc8R8Cs
and for the bookmark: https://pastebin.com/9AXaqiMw
I had to remove a lot of the G-code for the bookmark due to its size, so hopefully I've left the important stuff in.
I started printing by loading the models in CURA, slicing and exporting to an SD card. I didn't;t create a new project for each print and it took me a while to realise I was losing the slicing parameters I'd used each time, making it difficult or impossible to go back and just change one set of parms. I'm now creating a separate project, so hopefully from now on I can just tweak one or 2 parms.

Share links in comment to both the G-codes to see if we can see something interesting, if so, we'll paste it in the question, else we mention that there is nothing to see and delete the comments. You could use e.g. PasteBin website.

Are you slicing with the exact same parameters?

@0scar - Links to GCODE added

@user-596a6526 - I don't know - to start with I was just dropping STL files into CURA projects but not saving the project, so when I had a successful print I couldn't be sure what parms I used. Will try to avoid that in future.

@SteveIves As far as I know, Cura keeps the settings from the last slice, so it should be doing the same thing for your calibration as your other part.  I thought it was worth checking!

Are you using any adhesives, i.e. glue stick, blue tape, hair spray? I personally have found my calibration prints to stick without problem but actual model prints will necessitate using an adhesive.

In the images the initial z-height looks to high.  The extrusions don't look pressed down and aren't sticking together.

@agarza No - I was hoping that wasn't necessary coming from an unheated XYZ printer will almost 0 success. I did switch the PEI bed for a glass one last night (nd re-levelled) with the intention to try glue stick if I got desperate, as I thought glue sticks and PEI wasn't a good combination.

@PerryWebb Is that a slicer parameter or a setting the printer? I can't seem to find it in CURA and I don't change anything from the calibration print to the bookmark.

It's a manual process as part of the leveling on my printer..  You might be able to do it with software on your printer.  That doesn't work on mine.

I've looked into the files to conclude both print at the same heights. What I cannot see is the print speed of your product (that part is cut out), it might be too high for the filament to adhere properly. Thanks for sharing the codes!

@0scar I’m pretty sure I was printing at 40 or 50 as a friend thought the print speed may be too high and that it was ‘dragging ‘ the print off the bed.

Well I got a perfect print as follows:

Loaded the .stl file.
Set Cura to use the 'Good' profile downloaded from CHEPCLUB
(recommended by a friend).
Used Pritt-stick Scotch (glue stick) on the bed.

I was quite loath to use glue stick, as I thought heated beds etc didn't need it, but if that's what it takes then...
I even bought an enclosure a few days ago as the room the printer was in if fairly cool.
I'll try the exact same print without the glue and see if that works but at least I know know that I can get a perfect print and that a good calibration print isn't the be-all and end-all.

Pritt (Henkel) sticks are not made (since 2000) of the ingredients (PVP) that are known to help in adhesion: "Known materials to be used for glue sticks are PVA or PVP. However, the Henkel company is as of 2000 not using PVP in Pritt anymore but makes use of natural starch."

@0scar Turns out I’m actually using a Scotch glue stick

If I absolutely need adhesion... I use Ponal Express, which is a white wood glue containing PVA.

So is the 'glue not needed with a heated bed' thing a myth, or is it down to luck/filament/bed/phase of the Moon etc?

First, heat the bed to printing temperature, let it "soak" for a few minutes, and then re-do your bed levelling.
Thermal expansion can mess with the level.

I'm pretty sure the bed was hot as a perfect calibration print was obtained after several attempts, so the heating had been on for 15-20 minutes. The one in the photo was one from 'cold' i.e. switch the printer on and immediately do the print, so I don't think that's an issue in this case.

Upvoted for the suggestion although it wasn't the cause in this case.

For a good adhesion the print bed should be free of any oil or fat. Wipe the print bed with pure alcohol just befor the start of printing.

And what about dust?

Thanks Uwe - I'm getting reliable adhesion at the moment with a layer of glue on the bed but part of me thinks this shouldn't be necessary. I'm wary of changing what works, but I can always re-apply glue, so this weekend I'll thoroughly clean and degrease the glass bed and see how that goes.


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Material for printing electric device prototype
We are in a stage of creating a prototype of some IoT device with some electric boards and sensors.
The device will be connected to the power and the boards inside might be warm a bit.
What material whould you recommended to print it? Will you recommend it to production as well?
Thanks

Your question would benefit from additional detail, in order to prevent closure for lack of same. "Warm a bit" has different meanings to different people. Perhaps a specific wattage figure can be provided? Are you asking for an enclosure design or an open mounting system? Sketches of the layout would be useful. One word is worth one one-thousandth of a picture.

Are you asking about printing conductive pathways for data or for power, or just a base material to which you will mount items? Either way, you'll need to characterize and quantify the environment (atmosphere, temperature, pressure, humidity, etc) and performance criteria (rigid, slight flex, very flexible, etc.).

What kind of printer and setup do you have? Enclosed or open frame?

If you are using powered MCUs (like an ESP32) or more powerful processing (such as a Raspberry Pi), you should not allow the processor to get hot without some additional passive (heatsinks) or active (fans) cooling.
Assuming you are able to cool the devices, even a Pi should not get warmer than 60 °C. If you use PETG or ASA for your enclosure, these can both cope with the temperature as well as external UV exposure.

This highly depends on the design. With standoffs and some distance to any hot surface, pretty much all materials can work as an enclosure, as long as you make sure to have enough cooling capacity from airflow. This airflow can be active (fan-driven) or passive (heat-driven) and entirely based on the interior design of your enclosure.


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Can higher quality prints be achieved by switching filiment type between printing 1" high detail miniatures and larger low detail vehicle
When 3D printing model for tabletop gaming system, should the same filament type be used for to print 1" gaming pieces with curved surfaces and lots of small detail, and vehicles which are much larger but which have lots of flat surface and sharp angles?
For example, could an overall higher quality print be achieved using a specific filament types to print a custom Warhammer 40K space marine, and a different one for a Warhammer 40K rhino assault vehicle?
Replace Warhammer 40K with any comparable sized gaming system as required.

If your objective is quality, the filament type (PLA vs ABS vs PETG vs etc.) is not as important as the slicing parameters. In filament style printers, one compensates surface quality for speed of printing.
A feature of a number of slicing programs allows one to change layer height at varying vertical locations in a model/full bed of models.
For example, a model with a number of vertical flat surfaces will benefit from faster printing if the layer height is set to 0.300 mm on a machine with a 0.40 mm nozzle. A model with organic shapes and few flat surfaces, especially those with curvature in the z-axis would benefit from a higher quality appearance when printed with 0.100 layer height.
Consider that a model may have a pedestal type of base, creating the option for a 0.300 mm layer, but as the model prints, the legs (also mostly vertical) will not be degraded overmuch by such a setting, but once reaching curved areas including the chest, shoulders, arm muscles, one would desire higher quality 0.100 mm layers.
The slicing software permits one to designate the first section to one layer height, then switch operations to the thinner height. There are usually no limits to the number of changes permitted in a model print, other than the operator's patience and tolerance for such quantities.


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Strange Z-Axis Noise on New Ender 3
Just assembled my Ender 3, was homing the Z Axis and Leveling the bed, etc. During which I heard this high pitched noise that the extruder makes as it travels upwards along its Z-Axis. Was hoping someone could help me diagnose the issue. Including a video showing said noise.
https://streamable.com/uw0d9e

Just so that you know, if the video was on YouTube, then you can embed the video into your post, using the URL: YouTube video embedding has been ENABLED for this site.

There's a cyclic aspect to the metallic noise that would point to a fan blade rubbing somewhere. It's difficult to determine from the video if your extruder fan is running while the carriage is moving, but that would be one place to examine. Even though the power supply doesn't move with the carriage, consider to check the fan within that unit as well. Any other fans on the system should be examined.
If you don't find a fan problem, consider to disconnect the z-axis coupler and command a z-movement. The z-stepper isn't moving fast enough to generate the high pitch sound heard in the video and disconnecting the rod should eliminate misalignment concerns of that motor.