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Filament not sticking to bed/nozzle too high
Brand new Ender 3 V2 Neo with CR Touch. Set printer up, switched on, ran bed levelling as per instructions, and tried first print.
Filament is not sticking to bed. I noticed that the nozzle is approx 5 mm above bed when printing. On this model there is no manual levelling, just auto. Any ideas?

5 mm above the bed is the reason why it doesn't stick, maybe you need to explain what you did, it appears that you did do something (accidentally) not in accordance to the instructions. Please expand the question by [edit]. How did you slice the model, or did you use a model/G-code that came with the printer. The current question lacks too many details to answer; this generates very generic answers that may not help you fix the problem. Please [edit], thanks!

You probably need to manually set the Z-probe offset in the Configuration. The CR-touch is mounted a little lower than the nozzle to prevent the nozzle from interfering when leveling. This offset is not fixed and may differ per installation.
I don't know the proper way to set this other than just incrementing values until the first layer is perfect. Starting you will increment with 1mm per test and in the end you will be incrementing with 0.1mm values. One very big danger is though that setting a too high value, will press the nozzle into the printbed and damage both of them. There for I don't recommend this method, but it is what works for me when being very careful with the increments.
Maybe someone with a good trick to safely set the probe offset can comment or answer here.

For the older Ender 3 (and likely this one too), home it first, then move the z-axis to the nominal zero position (display shows z=0; from the question this will be about 5mm above the bed). Setting the probe offset will then raise the nozzle in real-time. You’re looking for a negative value, so expect the final value to be approximately 5 less than whatever value is in there now. Save your settings afterwards. Ideally, redo the bed leveling and recheck the offset afterwards as well, and save again.

Problem solved. Thanks for all the great suggestions. Yes, it was the Z axis offset. After homing Z axis set to 10mm. Set this to zero hen carried out manual bed levelling. After this ran auto levelling then set Z axis offset to correct level. None of this is mentioned in the instal instructions. Thanks everyone.

I'm glad you managed to solve the issue! Happy printing! Please don't forget to upvote and accept the answer of @Hacky as that answer has let you to the solution. Voting and accepting questions drives the community, thanks!


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Printing a Temp Tower using MakerBot Replicator+
I am a newbie to 3D printing. I have MakerBot Replicator+ with tough smart extruder in my possession. I want to print a temp tower. However I think I am stuck with Makerbot's software and I don't know how to print one with this since all other examples on internet are mostly on Cura. Is there a way to print temp tower using Makerbot's software? If not could you explain the other alternatives step by step?

https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/7346/ answers your question for Cura. If you look at the G-code, you can even do it yourself by inserting G-code lines at the correct layer height with your file generated by MakerBot software. This could therefore be a duplicate question.

Hi theycallmefm and welcome to SE.3DP! I would have to agree with @0scar that unless someone can post an answer explicity showing how to do this using Makerbot software, then this question is probably, unfortunately, a duplicate of How does one use a heat tower?.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Show build date and time in Marlin 2.1 firmware?
I'm trying to find out how to format the __DATE__ and __TIME__ options in Marlin.
This is NOT a duplicate of (Show Build date and time in Marlin 2.0).
When compiling my firmware I have a line in my configuration.h
#define CUSTOM_MACHINE_NAME __DATE__ " " __TIME__ " Ender-3"
But on the printer it is showing

Dec  5 2022 18:25:13 Ender-3

I want the format mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm. Example "12/05/2022 18:25 Ender-3"

__DATE__ and __TIME__ are C++ pre-processor macros with a predefined format. I don't think that there's any way to change them at compile time.

Spot on! There is a way (see this question), but that requires you to interpret the string and create your own format based on the default string.

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


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Do you ground your motherboard and screen?
I bought a 12V 33.3A switching power supply for my DIY 3d printer, it looks like this:

I connect all of the L, N, EGND to outlet. When I flashing firmware, I got electrical shocks several times from SD slot and screen in one hour. It is so frequent so I do not think it is static electric discharge.
When measuring around using AC voltage mode of multimeter, I found touching one probe and another probe connected to DC+ or DC-, it measures 3-4 volts. When I measure AC voltage between EGND and DC output, it reads around 28-30 volts. Is this why I got electric shocks? Should I connect DC- to EGND dirctly to prevent this?

Following your guidance, I found this answer on SE Electrical Engineering. It looks like we should connect AC ground to DC- in 3D printers because touching is a concern. Also, take a look at fourth image of this printer, the author connect AC ground to DC- too.

I have checked the grounding is okay, I currently guess this line should be connected but not not mentioned in most tutorials about 3d printer diy. Also, this post mentions "Connect all PCB ground plains directly to system ground, Power Supply Chassis, (Earth Ground)." But anyway, I'm not an electrician so this might not be true.

@Greenonline I connected the V- and AC Earth, my power supply did not explode and the problem is solved, thanks for your guidance. I think my power supply is originally designed for LED bulbs, as it labeled, so designer did take touching into account.

Excellent, that's great news. I'll update my answer with the info from the comments, and the link to SE.Electrical Eng. If you could mark it as the accepted answer, using the tick icon button, then that would be great. Or, alternatively, you could post your own answer, if you wish to...? Yes, they are indeed, LED power supplies. However, they don't always cause shocking. I think that the Earth is not grounded in your unit.

TL; DR
You could try, powering off and connecting the V- to the AC Earth (either with, or without, a 100 Ω resistor - although the use of resistor would be preferable).

Then switch the PSU on to see if:

First, the PSU doesn't short and explode (this is rather unlikely, but you never know), and;
Second, the mild shocking that you experience has stopped. If it has stopped, then all well and good. If it hasn't, then power off and remove the connection (as it would seem pointless).

Personally, this is what I would try... and then get a replacement PSU anyway, when funds allow.

Notes
It's obviously a dodgy earth/ground but without seeing inside, it might be difficult to determine exactly what the issue is.
Some of these LED power supplies are notoriously badly fabricated and there may be a poorly soldered connection inside, loose conenction, or a faulty part.
It is probably easily remedied, if you know what to look for... but not so easily fixed if you don't. I've had a lot of these LED PSUs in the past and some are fixable, some not. Normally the output faisl and just the power transistors need replacing. I haven't come across one which shocks me yet, though, so I couldn't say what the issue is (likely to be), apart from a bad ground.
If you think you could manage it, open it and check for bad ground/earth connections. If you don't feel confident, then, seeing as they are relatively cheap so, maybe obtain another PSU from a different source/manufacturer and try that one instead.
If you do open it up, remember to disconnect from the mains supply..!
To be honest, it sounds like a dodgy unit, but... As a sanity check: Does the wall socket that you are plugging into actually have an Earth connection. I have a rented flat (in SE Asia), that has "three-hole" wall sockets, but the earth isn't actually earthed, and I'm constantly getting shocks from everything. As a shoddy workaround, you could connect the earth to the plumbing (if you have metal pipework), to get a good earth... However, seeing as the unit is detective, then this could result in a shocking shower... so not advised!!!.
I can't help thinking that this could be quite a serious issue, and that (in the absense of a definitive answer here) maybe you should ask, or look, on SE.Electrical Engineering.
Further reading
Should I ground the DC output negative terminal to the chasis on my 12 volt project?, in particular, this answer (but all of the answers are both informative and worth a read).


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Why is Filament reel rocking back and forth/drive gear is pulling and pushing filament repeatedly?
I have a monoprice Voxel 3. I am having an issue where the gear grabbing the filament at the roll is pulling the filament, then pushing it back, causing the roll to rock back and forth. It also makes an "putt" sort of noise, when it pushes the filament back. I have observed the mechanism in the filament compartment, the toothed gear is rocking back and forth.
The printer also makes the "putt putt" noise without the gear rocking.

That is quite normal behavior, what you are experiencing is called retraction. This is an opposite direction of the extrusion of the filament. Extrusion unrolls the spool, retraction pushes the filament back causing the filament to become hanging loose or rocking the spool.
Retraction is necessary to prevent unwanted filament from leaking or oozing out the nozzle. Basically, retraction stops the melted or almost-melted filament from coming out the nozzle. Insufficient retraction (length) causes a problem called "stringing" or leakage from filament from the nozzle (which can catch parts of the print where you do not want material to deposit), too much retraction may cause your hot end to clog/block. The amount of retraction depends on the extruder type (direct or Bowden driven).

Thank you! I am a little new to the trouble shooting of 3d printers so this explanation is helpful. Also it isnt necessarily unspooling the filament more pushing the spool as whole with sharp push. Should it be fixed or is there a way too fix?


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Repurpose extruder pin(s) for a parts cooling fan?
I recently picked up a second hand/defective 'Renkforce RF100' printer. A pretty obscure German brand. The problem with it was: broken hotend fan cable which caused clogging that the previous user was unable to fix. I have thoroughly cleaned the hotend, rewired the fan and now it works again.
The mainboard it used is not very well known, designated as MPX.3 which seems similar to this HICTOP brand RAMPS 1.4 board. Renkforce's documentation is very sparse. Through some digging I found a GitHub repo with some customizable Marlin firmware and this diagram:
No real circuit diagram to be found for this specific Renkforce board, however. It does look similar to the MKS Base 1.0 board. As you can see, it has support for up to two extruders, a fan and a heated bed ("EEFB"). Only one extruder (E0, labeled 5 on the picture above) is in use on this printer.

Here is where I need some advice:
I would like to add a part cooling fan to this printer. Right now, only the hotend fan (40 mm, 12 V 0.15 A) is connected to the 'Fan' (labeled 7 in the picture above) header on the board and it will run at 100 % as soon as the hotend reaches >50 °C. Now, I could of course wire the hotend and parts cooling fans together, but I would like to have separate control over the parts cooling fan, in order to only run it at specific times (e.g. ramp it up after the first few layers are printed).
My question: Could I, for instance, just screw the parts cooling fan leads into the spare extruder terminal (E1) and re-program the firmware to let it know that that pin (D7, labeled 6 on the picture above) is a FAN_PIN? Which I could then ideally address/control with the G-code M106. In a sense I would repurpose the E1 terminal for a fan - do I need to worry about (fire) safety here? Since it's an extruder terminal? Or is that terminal "simply" a 12 V connection that I can connect to whatever? Do I need to add a MOSFET next to the terminal? Or am I overthinking this and should I use another position / pin on the board? This is really the limit of my electronics knowledge right now and safety is a primary concern. Any input is appreciated!
Edit for future reference: this GitHub repo has a modern (at the time of writing) version of Marlin suitable for this printer.

In a sense I would repurpose the E1 terminal for a fan - do I need to worry about (fire) safety here?

No, fans do not use much power, heater cartridges do.
Considering the fifth stepper driver is not installed, this board is not equipped for using the E1 heater port/terminal in its current state.
E.g, the MOSFET for the E1 heater is not installed (E0 and the bed MOSFET are installed):

Or is that terminal "simply" a 12 V connection that I can connect to whatever?

No, it is a PWM controlled terminal by the microprocessor, however, the VCC and GND of the MOSFET connection holes should be connected, so will deliver 12 V.

Do I need to add a MOSFET next to the terminal?

Yes, if you want the firmware to control the speed.
The chance that the microprocessor is connected to the MOSFET gate port is quite big. I don't think that this board has missing traces from the processor to the peripherals.
So, you could repurpose the pin that is dedicated to driving the E1 MOSFET, but, you should not run the fan directly from that pin. You should solder a MOSFET or add an external MOSFET module to protect the processor of over-current.
Changes to the firmware are simple, you need to add the correct port to the functioning of the fan, you may find some help in question Controlling more fans with RAMPS board or here How to use second hotend for bed heating? (this may be helpful to modify the sources, or ask another question).

Good! I clarified my post a bit with which connection is which in the picture. So if I re-read your post now, something comes to mind. You state: "Yes, if you want the firmware to control the speed." Say hypothetically I don't need to control speed, can I then connect VCC and GND of the E1 (labeled 6 in the picture) MOSFET connection holes, and use the E1 terminal at 12 V without risking the microprocessor?

Correct! Connecting VCC and GND of the MOSFET pins is like connecting directly to the power supply.

In that case, I might as well connect the hotend fan to that (VCC/GND) and connect the parts cooling fan to the Fan header (label 7, which has a MOSFET installed - this printer doesn't have a heated bed btw). Thank you for your answers, they have given me a better understanding of how a board like this works.

That may work out of the box if the firmware has been configured to use terminal 7.

Terminal 7 is the default terminal for the hotend fan, I'll need to do some firmware modification in order to be able to control it, but luckily, I am muuuuch more comfortable with software rather than hardware :)

@Floris To add, that port ("7") is scheduled to provide power when the hotend is over 50 °C (per your observations), I am not sure if you can schedule this port with a G-code. It might only work when you replace the firmware with your custom firmware.

Correct, it is scheduled per (among some other definitions) #define EXTRUDER_AUTO_FAN_TEMPERATURE 50 in the firmware. I have found a GitHub repo with a version of Marlin 2.0.9.3 suitable for this obscure printer (will link in main post for future reference). With this firmware, I will be able to achieve my initial goal.


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Filling in space between two parts
I'm trying to make a mold of an airfoil, however the airfoil is cambered - I can't simply make rectangular bases and use a cut feature to cut the airfoil out of the mold body. The situation I've arrived at is needing to add material to the undercamber of the airfoil, however it's a very complex shape and I don't have the cad skills to do it.
I've tried using combinations of pads, lofts, etc. I simply can't find a way to fill only that space without covering overtop of the leading/trailing edge of the airfoil:

The two parts are partDesign Bodies.
How would I fill this space using Freecad?

Hi Brydon and welcome to SE.3DP...


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Do you need the front fan on Ender 3 Pro?
I have a heating problem on my Ender 3 Pro. I changed the thermistor and the 40 W heater but still the printer will just heat to 200 °C. So I unplugged the front fan that runs constantly, and, yes, now it reaches 260 °C.
Can I run my printer like this? I mean, it should have been mounted there for a reason?

Hi Felix and welcome to SE.3DP...

If your front fan stops the entire Hot End will heat up to well above 100C. Everything plastic on it will melt. I've had that happen.

Yes, it is necessary.
Its purpose is to cool the heatsink. The filament should only melt in the heater block. If the hotend fan is missing, the heatsink will also heat up, causing the filament to melt in it. This will cause heat creeps, which may result in inconsistent extrusion or unwanted clogs.
I once tried printing without a hotend fan and after a while, my filament got stuck at the height of the heatsink.

Your heating issues are probably due to other reasons.


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How to prevent holes in external perimeter
This dinosaur was printed on a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon with AMS, with 3rd party filament. Sliced with "Generic PLA" profile in Bambu Studio.

I understand that the zits probably happen at layer change, or hops to another location on the same layer.
I first reproduced that on a Benchy, by setting seams to random:

I understand that Benchy is a model where you'd not place the seams at random, but I wanted to make the problem visible in order to reduce the issue rather than hide it.
Here are some quicker prints showing my attempts to fix that with retraction:

Left: default of 0.8 mm retraction. Middle: 0 mm retraction (more stringing inside the cylinder, but no noticeable difference on the outside). Right: no retraction on layer change.
All seem to show similar amounts of holes.
Note that the printer does a flow calibration by printing some kind of linear advance pattern and analyzing it with lidar.
What else should I try to tune to minimize these holes?


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BTT SKR Mini E3 V3 w/BTT smart filament sensor
I'm trying to figure out how to get my BTT Smart Filament sensor to work with my printer.
I have looked at Getting BTT filament sensor to work and have tried almost everything they did.
Relevant Specs about my printer:

Ender 3 (not pro or v2)
BIGTREETECH SKR Mini E3 V3
BIGTREETECH TFT35 E3 V3.0.1
Sensor plugged into E0-Stop on the SKR Mini.
Running latest version of Marlin bugfix 2.1.x (last commit 12/5/2022 12:01:08 EST)
FYI I also do have OctoPrint running and connected to the USB port of the SKR (not sure this matters).

When I follow BIGTREETECH setup instructions and several youtube videos for setting up configuration.h and configuration_adv.h, build the firmware, flash it on the board.  It always starts the print, then immediately stops and reports "Filament out".  I've tried setting the following options:
configuration.h options:
#define FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SENSOR
#if ENABLED(FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SENSOR)
  #define FIL_RUNOUT_ENABLED_DEFAULT true // Enable the sensor on startup. Override with M412 >followed by M500.
  #define NUM_RUNOUT_SENSORS   1          // Number of sensors, up to one per extruder. Define a >FIL_RUNOUT#_PIN for each.
  #define FIL_RUNOUT_STATE     HIGH        // Pin state indicating that filament is NOT present.
  #define FIL_RUNOUT_PULLUP               // Use internal pullup for filament runout pins.
  #define FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SCRIPT "M600"
  #define FILAMENT_RUNOUT_DISTANCE_MM 10
  #ifdef FILAMENT_RUNOUT_DISTANCE_MM
    #define FILAMENT_MOTION_SENSOR
  #endif
#endif

I've tried flipping
#define FIL_RUNOUT_STATE     HIGH

to
#define FIL_RUNOUT_STATE     LOW

but it behaves the same.
Anybody have any ideas? Did I miss something?

Ok, it appears I have gotten it working.  I guess I didn't flash the firmware after reading that the Smart Sensor requires a minimum of 7 mm of FILAMENT_RUNOUT_DISTANCE_MM.  I rebuilt the firmware with the exact settings above and it is now working.  I've tested this by starting a print (calibration cube), I waited for it to complete the first 2-3 layers, then I cut the filament and let it run out.  It did detect the runout and allowed me to reload and continue the print


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Is it safe to give 3D printed toys to a toddler?
Is it safe to give a 3D printed toy (printed using food-safe filaments) to a toddler?
Are there any recommendations/studies on what is considered safe?

The 3D printing process inherently creates many crevices and pores that bacteria can grow in, and which are hard to clean. You may want to coat the toy in a food-safe sealant. https://formlabs.com/blog/guide-to-food-safe-3d-printing/

The answer to this is highly dependent on the geometry, slicing settings, etc. Clearly it's possible for the 3D model itself to have small parts that would be choking hazards, or to have parts of the geometry such that, due to being thin or providing leverage, allow small parts to be broken off and become choking hazards, sharp, pointy, or otherwise dangerous. It's also possible that a print with insuficient layer bonding or poor infill could be split at layer lines or chewed apart, exposing parts that might be likewise dangerous.
If the part is designed with these safety considerations in mind, sliced properly, and printed without error on a reasonably well-tuned printer, it should be safe against mechanical hazards.
The IC3D Toys for Tots campaign might give you some ideas about the types of 3D printed toys a reputable organization considered safe for children. I'm not sure right off what age groups they targeted and whether all the toys in their campaign would be appropriate for toddlers - probably not.

The model election is a non-trivial issue when dealing with to a toddler but also, the extruder and hotend should be 100% free of debris from any previous, non food-safe filaments, although I don´t know how plausible that may be from a procedure point of view and I don´t know if there are any regulations with thresholds on this, but it´s not like we will be making a chemical analysis of a print to verify neither, so moving on to next point
Depending on what you want to do (and your printer flexibility), you might as well have 2 sets of extruder/hotend/bed if your really want to go this route on a production scale: one for food-safe prints and the other for the rest of the filaments like ABS

I don't think this kind of view on safety is helpful. Any "contamination" from "non-food-safe" materials after a normal purge is going to be on the order of similar contamination from playing with the toy that's been around the floor of a typical household. That includes residues from skin and hair products, cosmetics, and cleaning agents, all kinds of things tracked in on shoes, chipped bits of paint and furniture finishes, etc. And unlike the things that might attach themselves to toys on the floor, any contamination from the print head is going to be encased in extruded plastic.


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Waterproof sealant for case seams that allows opening and closing without destroying seal
I'm currently printing several cases for electronics, one for a Raspberry Pi 4 and two for smaller electronics, using ABS. These cases will be attached to a drone which might be exposed to rain. The cases itself should handle a little water, but I'm looking for a way to seal the seams where the cases are put together.
As mentioned, the cases must endure light to medium rain. Also, they might be frequently dis- and reassembled, which should work without the sealing being destroyed.
The edges of the case parts are normally very thin, so gluing rubber bands or o-rings to them would be very complicated. And if I apply a sealant coating, how to open the cases again?
I was hoping that maybe there was some kind of viscous liquid that is applied to the edges with a brush (or by dipping the edges into it) and then hardens to a rubber like texture that sticks to the part it was applied to. Other Ideas are welcome too, of course.

Not sure if shopping questions are on-topic here. Have you looked at automotive stuff like gasket sealants?

I've tried gasket sealant, as mentioned by @fectin, and the result seems to be working.
You spread it on the edges of the printed part and evenly flatten it (it helps to print a tool for that purpose that flattens and removes the overhanging sealant at the side of the edge). Now let it sit for about one day. The sealant will harden out and stick to the part. The edges can also be pressed to the edges of an opposite part without the sealant sticking to the opposite edges (so far as I have tested, at least), so a reopening is possible.
Aside from that, I'll simply have to use overhangs whenever necessary.

Plastidip is a spray-on rubber-like material that strengthens and waterproofs your 3D print.
Other than that I would make sure that your model is splash-proof by overlaying structures, so that rain rolls off without entering the body and anything that enters the body can seep out.

Many ways lead to Rome!
There are many ways that lead to Rome in this case, and I want to propose two:
cut gasket sheet
The most simple solution is a gasket, upon which pressure is applied evenly on all sides. This gasket can be made from any rubbery or foam material and then squished between the halves. A typical construction for a gasket would look akin to this stack: a pipe with holes in the flange at its end, then the gasket, then the endcap. The sealant is deformed against the plates on either side and the pressure is applied by having bolts pass through the faces and the gasket. You'll find this mechanism often where flat surfaces are mating. The thickness of the gasket and its flexibility (some are really stiff, others are super soft) are dependent on the use case. They rely on being tensioned evenly.

Among the household solutions that can work like this are 2mm closed-pore foam sheets and faux leather. The latter usually is a PVC foam, at times fiber reinforced. Industrial gaskets are at times papery in make but rely on precision machined surfaces then (motorhead gaskets!)
molded gasket by the sealant grove in situ
In this case, you use a flexible rubber material, such as acyl, silicone, or a Polyurethane sealant, and add it to a groove or onto a surface. In this position, it cures into a staying gasket and when brought in contact with the mating surface, it provides sealing surfaces by deforming in the fashion limited by the channel provided for it. The upside is, that you can have very complex mating surfaces. The downside is, that often the seal might not be replaceable easily and will need to be destroyed to get a replacement done.
In the example shown below, I designed the receptacle for the sealant in the shape of a grove, allowing you to easily shape it with a coin or wet finger and press it into all crevices of the channel. This will result in a well-curing and maximum-adhering shape.

A slight refinement on the design would be an undercut on the receiving side, preventing one from pulling the gasket from the channel if the inside of the vessel had a lower pressure than the outside and the mating surface sticks to the seal. However, this makes replacing the sealant harder if it ages over time.

How about rubber cement from a stationery store?
Thinly coat both surfaces, let it dry for a while, then press and hold firmly together.
Depending upon the strength of the object, you might be able to simply pry it apart when needed, or use a knife to cut the cement.
Warning: be sure to test the cement on a sample of the printed material first to ensure that its solvent won't react with the print.

Thanks, I never heard of that. But the warning is important here, as some rubber cement products seem to contain acetone as thinner, which is basically the arch enemy of ABS prints.


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Ender 5 Pro starts print then glitches and stops
My Ender 5 Pro starts printing then glitches and stops. It is a brand new printer, and I have printed out the included rabbit model (which came on the MicroSD card), but a couple of days later I turned the printer on and it gave me a blue screen of death.
I have since installed the firmware from Creality's website, but after that, each print results in the printer printing out a bit and stopping (the screen works, but no button can be pressed). I have tried all of the different firmware versions on Creality, but it is the same with all of them (and most printer just doesn't see when I insert the SD card).
The test line (at the very start of the print) on the far right, however, is printed perfectly each time, so the filament goes through without any issue, so it looks like an error in G-code, but the situation (starting and stopping after the test line) is the same both in CURA and Creality slicer.
I have just tried to print using a USB connection and it's working perfectly. So the issue is with the SD card, but I have tried 3 different ones, 2 GB and 16 GB, as well as the included 8 GB one, and the issue is the same on all of them.
What are some reliable cards/manufacturers you used?

Have you tested the SD cards to see if they work on a computer? It could be the SD card slot on the printer itself.

@agarza Thanks for the reply. Yeah, all of the microSD cards show up on the PC, and I have loaded a gcode file on all without a problem. And the printer does see the card and even the gcode files, but then just starts prints for like 10 seconds, and then stops printing and responding. I have checked the motherboard and the sd card slot seems intact, and all contacts hotglued.

While the SD card slot may "look" intact, the internal contacts may have a problem. If the printer is still under warranty, you may try contacting Creality to see if they can remedy the problem.


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Issues with my 3D prints
I've noticed there have been some strange patterns occurring in my prints lately, sort of like warping. I've attached a picture of a Benchy below and an image of a project I'm working on. But as you'll see on the Benchy, the front is messed up. Never had this issue before, it's only started occurring recently. Any ideas as to what it looks like?

What is the printing and bed temperature?

Looks like insufficient cooling. If it only just started, your part cooling fan might be clogged with dust and debris, or have a failing bearing making it spin slow and give low flow, or might have broken fins, etc.
It's also possible that a difference in ambient air has made the difference. Especially if you're printing PLA on a hot bed, it's hard to get low-to-the-bed overhangs like the Benchy bow sufficiently cooled that they won't deform like this, and having the ambient temperature a few degrees higher can make the difference in not being able to.
If the latter is your problem, lowering the bed temperature (and finding alternatives to heat to get your part to stick) is probably your best option. Or, get better fans.

Thanks for the answer. I would upvote but I don't have the necessary rep yet.


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How to I eliminate these "squished" layers that appear on my prints?

While I was setting up a new Ender 3 v2, and tuning the z-steps value, I noticed that some layers were extending beyond the others in the x and y axes. I didn't notice any pattern related to which layer, or how far from the print bed, or how often they might repeat during the same print.
My current setup is OctoPrint running on a raspberry pi 3B, connected via USB to the recently-assembled Ender 3v2.
My current theory is that something related to the z-axis stepping isn't lifting the print-head. It might be that the wrong number of steps are being performed, or that the screw isn't turning along with the stepper, or that there is some kind of friction or binding keeping the x-axis beam from raising.

What controller board do you have (version)?

It's the stock 4.2.2 board. I recently installed this firmware https://github.com/mriscoc/Ender3V2S1

After some thought, I decided to verify all of my assumptions. My primary assumption was that I had completed the assembly completely and correctly. This was not the case. I had not tightened the collar around the z-axis lead screw sufficiently. After correcting this error, I'm pleased to report that all of my 'squished' layers have disappeared and the printer is now fully functional.

Great you found and posted the solution! Please accept your solution after 48 hours to mark this question to be solved! Thanks!

It is unlikely that the amount of steps per mm are incorrect for your Z-axis, but there is indeed something wrong with the Z-axis. The Z-axis doesn’t advance the correct amount per layer for some layers; the Z height of the cubes say enough. If too less raised, the material will be squished outside the outer perimeter.
It could be that there is too much friction or binding or another mechanical problem. You should manually check that. But it can also be that there isn’t enough current delivered to the stepper by the driver. The current for the Z-stepper can be adjusted by the trim pot near the stepper driver.
From reprap world:

On the Ender3 v2 Mainboard you will find a small set screw for each stepper driver, called a trimpot. To access the mainboard remove the bottom plate of the printer. Once removed, you are able to see the trimpots as on the images shown below. By adjusting the trimpot you reduce or increase the current, depending on the rotation. Be careful adjusting the trimpot, it may break easily. Always disconnect power before adjusting the trimpot and use a suitable screw driver. The following pictures shows the locations of the trimpots.

To increase the current rotate the trimpot clockwise by a few degrees. Steps of 10 degrees of change are probably best, until you find the sweet spot. For the ender3 v2 the following vRef are recommended:
X,Y,Z: 1.22V
E: 1.39V

If your nozzle is too close to the bed, there is not enough space between the nozzle and the bed to extrude the proper amount of filament. Excess filament is either squished upwards between individual printed lines or isn't extruded at all creating additional pressure in the hotend.

Hi James and welcome to SE 3D Printing! Evidently, this is not the problem, the issue occurs way higher up the print, not in the beginning. The OP already posted the answer on the question. I would recommend that in addition to reading some highly voted answers to gauge the standard expected, that you take a look at the help section relating to answering questions, in particular [answer], and take the [tour] for more information on how stack exchange works. Thanks :-)


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Mixing conductive and non-conductive filaments
I'm interested in 3d printing rotors for cipher machines, like the Enigma machine rotor. These are cylindrical objects with a complicated internal wiring scheme that's very labor intensive to duplicate with manual construction techniques.
The obvious solution would be to print the rotor structure using non-conductive filament, and then use conductive filament to create the complex, twisting connections from the one side of the rotor to the other.
Can this be done? If so, how?
Since I don't have access to a dual-extruder machine, are there any commercial services which have this capability?

Should be relatively easy with a dual extruder printer. You could always retrofit your existing machine too.
As for other approaches: How about printing just the isolator part of the rotor? Then, insert solid copper wire into the internal paths (maybe glue them in) and grind down what sticks out.

The design I have in mind involves fairly complicated 3-dimensional internal connections. Adding copper wire after the fact would defeat the elegance and reproducibility of the whole concept.
I want to have something that I can open-source, then anyone can download and either print it themselves or send it to a commercial outfit for printing.
That's also why I'd prefer to avoid retrofitting and/or printer modifications: they make it harder for others to experiment with and improve on the design.

most conductive filaments have a very high resistance.

Here is a video published by a Virginia Tech student in 2017, printing alternately with conductive and magnetic pastes (not filaments) to make planar and toroid inductors:

Disclaimer: This was done with Hyrel 3D equipment, and I work for Hyrel 3D.

This is great, but doesn't show how I can do it or (better yet) provide a reference to a commercial service where I can send designs and have it done.

I believe it absolutely does show you how you can do it - or at least that others have already completed very similar projects.


text:
Same parameters lead to very different results
This summer I bought a white PLA+ filament from Sunlu.
After some trials, I found these settings in Ultimaker Cura for my Dremel 3D45:

The layer thickness is 0.2 mm.
The objects were printed almost perfectly for my needs:

Now, after 3 months, I tried to print with the same material and of course with the same parameters. Even if the infill seems quite good:

the walls are terrible:

I'm using a dryer before and during the printing.
I'm lost because I cannot think what can be happened.
The other variable is the environment temperature in the box: this summer was about 20 °C, now it is 12-13 °C. But given the use of the dryer and given that the Dremel is closed it should not matter.
Could the filament be damaged?
Any other idea?

Are you printing in heated enclosure?

@kosteklvp, not sure what you mean. The Dremel 3D45 has the buildplate enclosed. The chamber itself is not "heated", but of course all the heating sources (nozzle, bed) are inside.

So the enclosure is not heated. My guess is a temperature problem. You said, that you have different temperature now inside. Maybe try printing with different temperature and decrease cooling. It is now colder, so cooling can be the problem here.

Please try with new PLA, once moisture has crept in, the filament changes, this cannot be undone by drying it.

@kosteklvp good advice. I'm going to try it this morning.

@0scar this is new to me. So, what's the purpose of the driers?

I use the dryer for PETG and that works, it is known that the large PLA molecules break up due to the moisture (there is an SE question to be found on that), so even when dried, the filament has a different structure. It is best to never let it get wet. So pack it well and print from a drier or a box.

I dispute that water degrades PLAs in general, but some filaments contain fillers that break with water. See scientific experiments by CNC Kitchen https://youtu.be/FAXUjZZER5E

Did you manage to solve the problem?

@kosteklvp unfortunately not yet. I also received a new bobbin of the very same filament but the behavior is not changed at all.

This "bobbin" sounds like a dry filament. Wet filament can also lead to adhesion problems. Maybe you didn't dry your filament enough.
Next, you should determine the best temperature for now. Try printing temperature tower for optimum temperature and cooling. You said that the environment temperature is now 12°C, so your cooling may be stronger now, which can lead to adhesion and curling issues.

Have you tried printing with different filament?

@kosteklvp no problem with other filaments. Anyway, the humidity should not matter anymore, since I've ordered a new item of the same filament.

So try playing with printing temperature.

This looks like a clogged nozzle.
Clean your nozzle, and if you have a setup with a Bowden tube coming up to the nozzle, like an Ender 3, check that it is clean, and has good, strong contact with the nozzle.
The low ambient temperature is not helping, but should create warping, not a total lack of material.
In addition, make sure that you have a silicone sock on your heat block to protect from too much heat loss and have a more even temperature.


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“Thick layers” on Ender 3
Every time I print something I get these random bands on my prints that look like layers that are just too thick. I’ve tightened my X-axis belt to the best of my ability, and my Y-axis belt is tightened as well. Though I don’t think it’s that because it goes around the whole print.
I’m using Cura, .28 mm layer height, 20 % infill, all on my Ender 3 in PLA at 200 °C nozzle temp and 50-60 °C bed temp. I’ve attached some pictures of a calibration cube I printed, it is squished a bit because my Z-axis wasn’t calibrated properly, but I’ve since fixed that and the problem still occurs.

What is the dimension of the cube in the Z axis?

This looks awfully close to this recent question!

@0scar Thank you! Didn’t even see that.

@kosteklvp Supposed to be 20mm,  ended up 17.3 mm. I printed another after calibration and it ended up with the same dimensions and layers, so now I’m thinking I have a whole other problem on my plate (haha)

Yes, check and tighten everything around Z-axis. Check also, if your Z-axis isn't missing steps.

How do I check whether or not my Z axis is missing steps?

@0scar - If anyone (rightly) adds one more vote to close as a dupe, then the OP will not be able to accept their answer (I'm sure you can't accept an answer on a closed question). So... maybe wait until the OP accepts the answer and then close as dupe?

@Greenonline I'll keep the hammer in the toolbox

Problem solved everyone!! Turns out I was actually having two issues caused by the same thing. My inaccuracy in the z axis and those weird lines were both being caused by either my z axis stepped not receiving enough current or that the collar around the z axis lead screw wasn’t tight enough. I tried both of these solutions at the same time so I don’t know which it was.
Link to a post with the same issue, with possibly the same solution. Thank you @0scar for showing me this!

Great, good to see that you got a solution. Please don't forget to mark your answer as the accepted answer. You may need to wait 48 hours (or so)


text:
Ender 3 nozzle temp turns off briefly at start of print
When I need to print higher-temp filament at 225 °C the nozzle temp turns off for just a second but this is enough to send the temp down to about 200 °C before it recovers to print temp.  This jams up the nozzle and I get stringing as it tries to print the brim.  Sometimes this is no big deal, other times I have to start over.  I can't find any control in Cura for this; my initial print and final temps are all at 225 °C.  Seems like some auto-program for the initial homing in the firmware or something.
I'm using a BLTouch.

Looks like you should do PID Autotune for higher temperature.


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In Cura remove Top/Bottom on overhang
Is there a way to get rid of the (yellow) internal support, Cura is generating for overhangs?

I am already printing with 3 walls, so there should be no additional benefit in this case and it is harming my print.
(Reason: I want to print this in silk PLA, which is very temperature sensitive. These overhangs tend to curl up, due to the additional material and heating. Adding more part cooling will hurt the layer adhesion dramatically.)

Skin Removal Width should be the setting you are looking for.

PrusaSlicer's equivalent is Ensure vertical shell thickness.

Found it for PrusiaSlicer but not the equivalent in Cura. Tank you!
I do not Understand why I have to set it to 3 mm for this Model but at least it seems to do what I need.


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Ender 3v2 stops mid-print
My Ender 3v2 stops mid-print; every print. The head just stops moving. The nozzle and bed temperatures are still on.
I then can cancel and start the job but it's stopping again, even when using totally different G-code files.
I'm using OctoPrint and didn't change anything lately. This never happened before.
Any idea why this is happening?

Maybe try printing directly from SD card and see, if this problem still occurs.

I reinstalled the firmware and also reinstalled octoprint. Since then everything seems to be printing fine.


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How to send I2C commands from Creality 4.2.2 board with Marlin
I'm wondering if anyone has ever gotten the Ender 4.2.2 board to send I2C commands? I'm looking to add some extra features, and I2C seems the best way to do it. So far, I've reflashed Marlin with the EXPERIMENTAL_I2CBUS enabled and currently have broken out the SDA and SCL lines from the LCD to connect them also to an Arduino.
This seems to be working (ran a sniffing test and it printed some output), although it causes the screen to constantly think that it is being clicked. The Arduino takes address 10 and then I tried sending data over I2C with M260 A10 but the Arduino received nothing. Just wanted to see if anyone had done this before and had any pointers?

Did you ever manage to figure this out? If it is a matter of debugging the code, and you have a second Arduino to hand, consider using the one-wire protocol, debugWIRE - it is really useful if low level debugging is needed.


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3D print Unreal Engine asset - Low quality export
I wanted to experiment with a 3D printer and downloaded Lychee Slicer and wanted to print an Unreal asset. I took a free one from the store and exported the static mesh as .obj, so I can load it in Lychee. The only thing is details and curves have disappeared and smooth surfaces are visible polygons. Is this something that can be fixed?

It sounds like the .obj file you exported from the Unreal Engine did not preserve the smooth surfaces and curves of the original asset. This is likely because the .obj format does not support smooth shading or surface curvature information, and can only represent geometry as a collection of flat polygons.
If you want to preserve the smooth surfaces and curves of the original asset, you will need to use a different file format that supports this kind of information. Some options you might consider include the .stl format, which is commonly used for 3D printing, or the .fbx format, which is a more general-purpose 3D file format that can support smooth shading and surface curvature.
It is also possible that the slicer software you are using to prepare the model for printing does not support smooth shading or surface curvature. In this case, you may need to use a different slicer program or apply a smoothing algorithm to the model before exporting it.
I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if you have any further questions!

Well I am getting the same results with other file formats. Here is what a game dev said on this: "All those smooth surfaces and details you see are an illusion created by normal mapping - they're not part of the lower-poly mesh geometry that's getting rendered. Some of these details will have been baked into a map from a higher-poly sculpt, others might be synthetically produced by a procedural material."

The curves (simple smoothing or real "multiple-per-vertex-normals") are embedded in the vertex information of the model and probably still exist in the obj. Lychee only sees the real 3D polygon mesh and discards the vertex data. Your best way to add some sort of polygon smoothing like MeshSmooth or TurboSmooth in 3ds Max, Maya, or Blender. It will read the vertex info and apply it to the mesh, thus creating more vertices. See the following YouTube video  for an example:


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Fail to upload G-code with UGS Plotter Software
Referring to a circle shape G-code online generator for my 2D printer at here, in which I created a 100 mm circle. I downloaded the G-code from the website and try to open it with UGS plotter but it is not showing any circle in that software.
How can I solve this issue? Pardon me, I only started CNC 2 days ago and I have jogged my 2D printer I built and it works well, so now as a beginner task, I want to draw a circle.
If anyone has experience with G-code, feel free to share it with me. I appreciate it :)

Can you share your GCODE file?

The g-code generated by the linked site presents in a text reader as a series of G01 codes, which are strictly movement codes. As expected, the circle was created as a series of fairly short straight line segments.
There are no other g-codes of note in the created file. In the case of a 2D printer, one would expect to see a g-code for pen down/pen up, while in a 3D printer, one expects to see extrusion commands.
The first two or three g-code viewers presented zero graphic results. The last one (because, why continue?) is NC Viewer and was able to properly display a circle. Images from linked site, using OP linked site to code 100 mm circle:

I added in a "pen-down" g-code, M3 S50 to the code and the NC Viewer site also added a pen!

This would indicate that your code is good/operational/functional, but lacks additional commands to create something useful in the program on your side. Consider to examine the g-code that presents an image in your software. Research the g-codes to determine the function. For example, I did not have a pen-down g-code command memorized, but used a search engine to find "g-code pen down" nearly instantly. Directly related, the M09 g-code in the created file is one I did not recognize. A search presented the answer that it is a "coolant off" command. An unusual command to see in a generic g-code creator!

Make sure you are connecting to the correct port. Make sure you have installed any drivers required for your controller. Make sure GRBL is properly flashed on your controller. As a last resort try removing all previous UGS settings (see property Files) and reinstall.

I won't downvote this answer, but it's not particularly useful in this case. The posted image indicates communication is successful.


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Resin printer adds a small block along the far right side
My Photon Mono 4k adds a small block along the right side and no matter what I do, it still makes it. It doesn't stop it from printing but is wasting a good bit of resin. Does anybody have an idea as to what's happening?

It could help if you [edit] in an image of what is happening.

A creation on your build plate indicates that that portion of the screen is illuminating. Either the screen has a defect that prevents the masking in that location, or there is spurious code in the creation of the print file.
You can test for a specific answer by running the files without the print bed or print vat. Cover the screen with a sheet of paper to protect your eyes, and/or leave the cover in place. The sheet of paper will give a more clear definition to the region being printed/not printed, reducing the glare from the UV lights.
Examine also the display on the printer while the layers are being printed. If the block does not appear in the display, it would indicate that it's not a glitch in the code creation. If the block appears on the paper, it's more likely a failed portion of the screen.
It's not out of the question that there could be a cable connection loose that prevents masking of that specific area, but it's pretty unlikely to be so tightly restricted.


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Creality Ender-3 V2 motors going insane
I recently started using my Ender 3 V2 again because I needed it to print a hook. I went through multiple problems that I could solve by updating the firmware but after starting the print, I heard a very hard noise that made me understand that the stepper motors were going over their limit and, after trying a second time, I saw that every axis was going to +infinite position.
I didn't try much things as I am not comfortable with this but I think it comes from the firmware.
If you have the solution please help me because I can't print anything and I think it damages the printer.

What firmware did you flash? Where did you get it from?

I used the 1.0.4 firmware from the creality website. I made sure to check if it was the one that has no bltouch as i don't have one

I assume you are talking about this site. Try flashing firmware from third position - Ender-3 V2_Marlin2.0.8_HW_V4.2.2_SW_V1.0.7 (11 Aug. 2022). This seems to be the most appropriate firmware for you at this moment. You should find there new firmware file: Ender-3 V2_HW_V4.2.2_SW_V1.0.7_202200811.bin.

It looks like your axes are inverted.
First be sure to get the right configuration file for your marlin version, printer, and control board from the Marlin Github Config page
your board shall be CrealityV422 if it is a stock one.
If it is still a problem you can of course invert the axes in the config file:
#define INVERT_X_DIR true //or false
#define INVERT_Y_DIR true //or false
#define INVERT_Z_DIR true //or false

If you suspect the firmware isolate it by trying a different build.
Try the MRisCoc professional firmware. It is a fork of Marlin 2 with many extra features. If your machine is unmodified - no BLTouch etc - the current version is
https://github.com/mriscoc/Ender3V2S1/releases/download/20230522/Ender3V2-422-MM-MPC-20230522B.bin

Hi, welcome to 3DPrinting.SE! Your answer reads as an advertisement for the firmware, but it does not address the question. Please state your affiliation and modify the answer to answer the question to prevent down-voting your question. Since you are new, please read our [help] and take the [tour].

This firmware does indeed look very interesting. Thank you for the suggestion.


text:
CR10S Pro V2 Screen not working after replacing the hotend extruder
Recently my hotend extruder got stripped out so I bought a new one and went to replace it, after finishing, my screen wouldn't turn on and it is no longer connecting to my PC. The filament sensors light is on, the BLTouch sensor is not on and all the fans are working, from pictures I've seen there is supposed to be a light on the motherboard, but, that I don't see on my motherboard, all pictures I've taken are with the printer plugged in and on.


text:
Adjust shape dimension in UGS G-code software
I am quite new to CNC. May I ask how to reduce the length per pixel for the entire triangle? I want the template length, height, and every dimension to be reduced by 10 times, which means the height is 257 mm instead of 2570 mm, length is 275 mm instead of 2750 mm.
Note: The G-code generator software I used is jscut which is extremely easy to use and it has a tutorial video. May I ask if I should change the overall dimensions in this G-code generator software (jscut) or this UGS runner and how it is done?

CNC related questions that aren't directly related to 3D printing are unsuited for this particular SE. Your question deserves an answer in the appropriate location, but I don't know which SE would be appropriate.

@fred_dot_u - Maybe SE.Engineering? However, this seems to be a general G-code question, which someone might have a answer for. Also, CNC was discussed as (potentially) being on-topic, I think? See the sections Non-3D Printing related and Misc.

I've read the linked page and see that it is explicitly allowed, hence my close vote retraction. I wish I was able to answer the question, but the program is tedious to use.


text:
What could have caused this damage?
My Dremel 3D45 stopped the extrusion. I removed the nozzle thinking about it was clogged. But still it didn't solve. Also the nozzle was harder to remove than usual.
So I removed the bottom cover and I found this:

It seems the heater is completely burned and messed up.
Unfortunately the replacement parts are hard to find.
I'm wondering what could have caused this damage.
I didn't run the nozzle over 220 °C (usually 195 °C) and the printer has less than 250 hours of working time.
It was just a defect? Or could I have prevented it?

Can you further explain what is shown in the picture? Is it the filament that surrounds the heater block?

@kosteklvp not sure what it is. But I don't think is the filament. In the last 50-60 hours I only extruded white PLA. And the nozzle is screwed inside the bottom of this "stuff" (see the new picture). I think it's this part: https://cdn3.volusion.com/qabo2.bcf6q/v/vspfiles/photos/BSH-1619PB2277-2.jpg

@kosteklvp I mean, I don't think the filament could/should go there

There could be a leak between the heat break and heater block. You can check, if this is filament, by heating it up and seeing if it melts.

Search aliexpress.com  - there's a great chance of finding a suitable replacement, just takes 2-12 weeks to arrive.

As you say that the nozzle removal was harder than normal it can be concluded that it has been removed before.
Looking at the hotend when new,

it evidently looks as if filament has been entrapped onto and on top of the heater block.
It could be that in a prior attempt to remove or replace the nozzle, the heat break has come loose or un-tightened as such that molten filament leaked on top of the heater block.
This hypothesis is more likely in this case than filament that has been ricochetted back from the nozzle opening back to the cavity containing the hot end (I recently experienced this latter issue on an Ultimaker destroying the core...).

Is it possible I broke it by myself?

Do you recommend to change this part only, and see.... before change all the extruder (core?) ? It's very expensive and I'm afraid they don't cover this parts with the warranty.

@Mark It is very hard to answer your question, my assessment is an honest interpretation of the results I see based on my own experience. If you have broken it or not can best be answered by you, but yes, it is a possibility the heat break has been accidentally been unscrewed. Frankly, I would never recommend a Dremel 3D printer, too price for the quality they offer, but their other tools are great. I don't think this is covered by the warranty. Even if there are no spares available, it should be doable to create a makeshift hotend replacement from other parts.


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What causes checksum mismatch error while printing from OctoPrint?
Recently, I've installed a new BIGTREETECH SKR mini E3 V3.0 board on Creality Ender-5. Previously, I was using SKR mini E3 V1.2 board, but it broke down and I had to replace it. I connected new one exactly like the previous board and calibrated the printer. Everything seemed to be working properly.
Now, I'm getting unexpected M122 errors while printing from OctoPrint:

This is OctoPrint's console output:
Recv: ok
Recv: Error:checksum mismatch, Last Line: 30869
Recv: Resend: 30870
Should resend line 30870 but no sufficient history is available, can't resend
Changing monitoring state from "Printing" to "Error"
Send: G1 X109.711 Y118.883 E.02691
Send: M112
Send: N31035 M112*37
Send: N31036 M104 T0 S0*38
Send: N31037 M140 S0*99
Changing monitoring state from "Error" to "Offline after error"
Connection closed, closing down monitor
Closing down send loop

This checksum mismatch error appears randomly at different stages of printing, but always around 30000 line.

What is my setup?

Creality Ender-5
Raspberry Pi 3A+
OctoPrint 1.8.6
OctoPi 0.18.0
SKR mini E3 V3.0 board
My custom firmware

I customized the firmware from BIGTREETECH official repository for this board. This problem also occurs, when I upload official firmware for this board. OctoPrint is connected to the board via GPIO pins - that's how it was connected before and I have no way to connect it via USB cable.

What have I done to resolve this issue?

Tried printing from SD card. This error doesn't occur, when printing from SD card.
Replaced cables connecting the board with Raspberry Pi.
Isolated all the electronics away from the printer's case.
Changed SD card used by OctoPrint to a new, empty one.
Updated OctoPrint to recent, stable version.
Uninstalled all unnecessary OctoPrint plugins.
Tried flashing official firmware.

I suppose that the problem is in the connection between the printer and OctoPrint. What can cause this error to happen?

According to Marlin docs, these checksum mismatch errors were due to the baud rate being set incorrectly.

The serial communication speed of the printer should be as fast as it can manage without generating errors. In most cases 115200 gives a good balance between speed and stability. Start with 250000 and only go lower if “line number” and “checksum” errors start to appear.

Lowering baud rate solved the problem.


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Automatic Z-homing when connected
We have the problem that our machine automatically performs a Z-homing when our software connects to the Arduino, but only the Z-axis. We would like to disable it, but could not find the line in Marlin to do it.
Any idea?

The software we developed is called OC-Manager3 and the machine is the OCLab3 which is working like a 3D printer but doing different jobs of analytical chemistry.
However, if we serially connect our Raspberry Pi either from Thonny or Visual Studio to the Arduino (booting the Arduino), the same Z-homing occurred. Thus, it is not related to our software but obviously to Marlin.

Maybe share which machine it is and what firmware version? And what is "our" software? Homing on connection is not normal, so this must be induced somehow.

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

Most probably it is related to your config setup, I see that you have a MAX Z endstop, it is more usual to have a MIN Z endstop, but that shouldn't be the problem. None of my Marlin version exhibits this issue, it must be the configuration causing this.

Seems like you are looking in the wrong place. I am pretty sure that this unnamed software of yours is what sends a homing command when opening connection. Best way to test is just connect to it from another control software like Pronterface, Arduino IDE or any USB serial software and it will not do that because they don't tell the printer to home Z.

Hello, Gerge! Glad to have you here. As you mentioned, without additional details it is difficult to offer a proper solution. After gaining enough reputation, you will be able to post comments that can ask for clarification from the original poster. I would also recommend that you take the [tour] to better understand how the site works.


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How to use organic supports in the slicer?
How to use organic supports in PrusaSlicer or Cura? I heard that it is possible, but I can’t find this option in these slicers.

As far as I know, PrusaSlicer organic tree support isn't available to the public yet. PrusaSlicer is rumored to use the same code as the Pull request made by Thomas Rahm on his Cura fork who started working on this code around 2020.
The "organic" tree support contributed by Thomas Rahm is also available in the 5.3.0-alpha+xmas Cura version in Cura, which showcases that new tree support. You  can find more information in the article Special alpha: new (Xmas) tree supports for UltiMaker Cura
Full disclosure I'm one of the Cura developers.

Hi and welcome to SE.3DP. Thanks for editing the post and clarifying... sorry for any mis-understanding :-)

Hi, thanks for having me, I could also have been a bit more clear in my initial answer, but glad to know that the mis-understanding has been cleared up

As Cura is mentioned in the question, it could be solved using Cura. The only organic support in Cura is called Tree as option of Support Structure in UltiMaker Cura's advanced options.

This option works best if you want support, but do not want Cura to build it on top of your end product (Support Placement -> Touching Buildplate).

This would lead to the generation of an organic like structure for the support structure:

It looks like Organic supports is not available yet. That’s why it is not in the slicer.


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How do I remove stuck on PETG filament from stock Ender 3 bed?
So I’m kind of a newbie to 3D printing. I got my Ender 3 about 3 days ago and some PETG filament to accompany it. These are the slicer settings:

Hotend: 235 °C
Initial bed temperature: 80 °C
Bed temperature: 70 °C
Layer height: 0.12 mm

I also use a brim on the outside of the prints. Every time I print, some of the bottom layers stick onto the bed. I’ve seen somewhere that if you heat it to 70 °C you can scrape it off, but that doesn’t work for me.

This reason for this to happen has been answered in other questions, see e.g. this question. Your nozzle is probably too close to the bed. Furthermore, you could use a bed adhesive spray as a release agent, a common brand is 3DLAC, but there are many others.

In contrary to other plastics, PETG is generally sticking too well to the buildplate. I had good experiences by using a structured PEI spring steel build plate. It prevents making any mess with glue or other mentioned release agents.

Spray all remainings with Isopropyl Alcohol and try rubbing it with a paper towel or sponge. Isopropyl Alcohol works as a release agent in this case and it may also soften these residues a bit. Try gently scraping it with a scraper, but be careful not to damage the surface, since the stock magnetic beds are quite soft. Scraping it with a utility knife or razor blade is not recommended, because it may permanently destroy the print surface.
Try to heat the bed a bit more to 80 °C. Heating it above 80 °C is not recommended, as it may damage surface adhesion. After that, wash the surface with a sponge in warm water. You can repeat this process until you get satisfying effect.
If you print in these places, these remainings may stick to new prints and could disappear after some time. For future prints, follow Oscar's advices to avoid similar issues.


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What happened during this print disaster, and is it salvageable?
Well, I know what my critical error was, I was in a hurry and set a print running before leaving it unattended for about 8 hours; came home to a great enormous disaster.

What on earth happened?  Perhaps more importantly, is anything here salvageable, or do I just need to get a new printhead?

Does this answer your question? Is this hot end salvageable? Or this Heatercartridge bolt stuck

I don't vote to close this question as it is different as  in the comment linked above in that the blob is just a blob of filament with a silicone sock, the hotend doesn't look that battered as in the linked questions.

It's difficult to determine if there is anything inside this mass of plastic, but a heat gun applied carefully will allow you to extract it.
When a hot end is assembled, the heat sink (finned cylinder) has a heat break threaded into it (slender metal tube) which then threads into the heater block (block with wires for the heater cartridge and thermistor).
The heater block has the nozzle threaded into it, but it's important to not seat the shoulder of the nozzle on the heater block. Leave a gap of 0.5 to 1.0 mm between the nozzle shoulder and the heater block. Tighten the heat break into the block until it contacts the nozzle. Secure it firmly, but don't snap anything off!
Heat the assembly to the highest safe temperature, between 220 °C and 250 °C and tighten the nozzle again.
Step 7 from cnx-software states the same thing as the paragraph above, but also provides a graphic showing the components:

Your photo shows the results of a nozzle that might have been leaking filament at the top of the nozzle and below the heat break, leaking out of both the top and bottom of the heater block.
Melting the plastic with a heat gun may release the metal components and if you are very careful and very lucky, you won't damage the wiring for the heater cartridge and thermistor. One can expect that the wiring will be damaged, however and you may have to replace the two items. This is advised, as the melted plastic will bond with the wiring and insulation, making it very difficult to manipulate them during assembly.
If you are determined, you won't have to purchase a new hot end and if you have the financial wherewithal, you may want to purchase one anyway.

It doesn't look like a leak from the heater block. More like the filament was coming out of the nozzle and spreading sideways and up, causing the heater block to be completely covered in melted plastic.

I'd say you are quite lucky, the hotend (as seen in the second photo) is fairly intact!
I've had a similar problem recently, but in my case it destroyed an Ultimaker core module hotend, and salvage would have taken too much time.

What happened during this print disaster

What probably happened is that the print has become unstuck from the build plate or a part of the support is caught by the hotend blocking the deposition of filament to the print object and instead it ricocheted back against the nozzle. This is not uncommon.

, and is it salvageable?

I'd say yes. You should be able to get the silicone sock off and clean the hotend. Heating the hotend and scraping it off seems do-able from the photo you provided, it may require some time and elbow grease.


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What all things I can create with a cheap and a expensive 3d printer
I am trying to getting started a 3d printer product research so I need some guidance

Welcome to SE.3DP, but I'm afraid that questions like this really aren't a good fit for a stack exchange site. We prefer practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face. Take a look at [ask] and [about] for more information on how stack exchange works. Also, the 3DP question checklist has good advice on how to write a good question. If you [edit] your question to fit our community guidelines we can reopen it for you.

Figure out your budget, and see what's available in that price range.  You might also join [chat] for a less structured conversation than the Q&A can provide.

@Criggie Unfortunately, the OP doesn't have the privilege to enter the chat.

@0scar not yet anyway :)  OP can ask some more on-topic specific questions or provide some answers, both that earn upvotes which translates to reputation.


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Z stepper is reversed after update to 32 bit v4.2.7
I've just updated my Ender 3 to 32 bit version 4.2.7 and the Z stepper is reversed.

Ender 3
32 bit 4.2.7 board
Marlin Bugfix 2.0.x

What firmware file did you use exactly? Can you give us a link?

HI and welcome to SE.3DP... You seem to have not provided very much information about your problem. Please could you [edit] your question and add more details? The more info that you provide the easier it will be for someone to answer your question.  For example, what firmware version were you using before the upgrade? Also, what is link to the new firmware? Were you using 32 bit firmware before? Do not put this info (and anything else that might be useful) in the comments - put any additional info into the question post itself, thanks.  Also please take the [tour].

I think this answers your question! The easiest is to flip the motor cable connector.

First, you can get the right config files from the Marlin Github Config page and choose the config file in:
config/examples/Creality/Ender-3/CrealityV427/

It should in theory solve the issue.
If not you can change the direction in the firmware like that:
#define INVERT_Z_DIR true

Alternatively, you can invert the plug on the Z motor.


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Creality Ender-3 V2 Not Doing Anything (Hard to Explain)
I’ve recently obtained a Creality Ender-3 V2 3D printer and have tried setting it up. With it came 2 modifications (CR Touch auto bed leveling kit and dual Z-axis kit).
The installation of the dual Z-axis kit was fine, and so was the CR Touch. Before I tried to install firmware for the CR Touch, the printer seemed to do everything fine. On activation, the Creality startup screen appeared with a loading bar. After the bar loaded it gave me the basic options. I was able to check and see that the current firmware version was 1.0.4. Also, during the wiring of the CR Touch kit, I checked the motherboard version, which was version 4.2.2. After it was functioning fine, I decided to install the CR Touch firmware.
When I tried to install the firmware for the first few times into the printer's SD card reader, nothing happened. I then decided to try plugging it into the card reader inside the display. When I booted it up this time, it displayed the Creality startup screen with no download bar, three “0.00” at the bottom which would flash to “???” every second, and a number above those three things which switched from 21 to 22 every second or two. After some time the number stuck at 22. After this, I took the card out of the display and turned the printer off. Since then, the printer has done nothing.
Now when the 3D printer turns on, it’s just the Creality startup screen with no loading bar. It stays on this screen and nothing changes, nothing happens. The printer also does not seem to connect to my computer (USB or Wi-Fi), does not accept anything from the card reader on the front of the machine, and does not accept anything from the card reader inside the display.
Ever since this has begun, I’ve done the following:

Inserting the card with many different pieces of firmware into the display card reader and front card reader. Result: Nothing happened.
Inserting the card with a .txt file containing M502 M500 (factory reset code and setting save code) and renaming it to .gcode. Result: Nothing happened.
Connecting a computer to the printer via a USB cord. Result: Computer detects nothing.
Sending M502 and M500 to the printer via Creality Print software. Result: Nothing happened because no printer was found.
Checked the file system and partitioning style. Result: FAT32 and MBR.
Used Pronterface to try and connect to the printer. Result: Weird error message reading “Update failed, no SD/TF-card or error.” I tried this with and without the SD card in both the display card reader and the front card reader.
Have tried Googling many different answers to this issue. Unable to exactly pinpoint anything the problem. I found one Reddit post about the “Update failed, no SD/TF-card or error” error, but it does not have any helpful replies. Result: Nothing helpful.

It’s been 2 days of continuous work on the printer and nothing has come about to signify an end to this suffering besides the “Update failed, no SD/TF-card or error” error. I’m tired of nothing working and unrelated answers, so I’ve decided to ask the question myself.

What firmware are you trying to flash?

I have tried flashing: Ender-3 v2 4.2.2mainboard (32bit) and GD-Ender-3 V2-Marlin2.0.8.2-HW-V4.2.2-SW-V1.0.4_E_N_20211230. A bit of additional information, the main board runs on a 32-bit ARM processor. I’ve also tried disconnecting the thermistor from the main board. Nothing happened.

I’ve figured it out. The issue was that the SD card was faulty, even though it seemed to work perfectly fine. I went out and bought a new one and then everything started working again. I tried flashing the firmware I tried before and it worked perfectly. Even the auto leveling works. Thanks for the help but it seems like the answer was again a very weird solution, a very difficult to find solution.

Thanks for sharing your solution. Remember to accept your answer.

Accepting the answer (pressing the checkmark) in front of the answer is possible after 48 hours of posting! Please take the [tour] and read [help], hope to see you around posting questions and answers! Thanks for answering your own question! Never would have guessed that the SD card would be the problem!


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CR Touch under Marlin for Ender 3
Just came to the 3D printing world and after installing Marlin 2.1.2 firmware in my Ender 3, which took a while and was finally completed following this tutorial:

I cannot get the CR Touch correctly calibrated, but it is correctly installed (physically) and recognized in firmware. The steps I´m following are:

Auto-homing. Which does a correct measurement from the center of the bed using CR Touch.
Probing the Z Offset. Which is strange because I got 0.1 mm instead of the -1.x mm or even -2 mm some people are getting in some tutorials I´ve seen so far.
Bed leveling. By default it takes 9 measurements and the first 6 are okay, but for the 7th the nozzle along with the CR Touch goes to low and pushes against the glass bed. Also, is there a way to make it work taking more measurements of the bed? Just for it to be more accurate and know more the bed it is working on.

Once again, I´m new in this but I have seen many videos about it, not getting a valid configuration in any of them. Is there anything to try out for it to work well? Also, I´m using OctoPrint for it, in case this helps or there is a known plugin I can work with.

Hey, what exactly is your problem here, besides 3rd point(Bed leveling)?

@kosteklvp the issue is that I cannot manage to calibrate correctly the CR Touch. I do the probing in Z Offset and when measuring the bed levels, 6 out of 9 points register correctly but the 7th goes too low and smacks the bed until it stops with a message saying that the printer halted and needs to restart.

Nozzle goes down on 7th point? Did you level your bed manually, e.g. with a piece of paper? Can you share your firmware source code? I would like to take a look at it.

@kosteklvp yes, I did a manual leveling, but isn´t CR Touch supposed to avoid this? What I understood was that it measures the bed level and saves the 9 points of reference for future prints. Also, how can I upload the firmware?

@kosteklvp, the firmware I booted into the printer is the same as shown in the video. Can you please check it from there? I wont have access to the physical printer for a couple days. Thanks

This video shows how to compile firmware for Ender-5, so it won't work for you. You can also find precompiled firmwares from official Creality site. Source code can be uploaded to some code repository(e.g. GitHub) and I'll have a look at it.

@kosteklvp but will a precompiled single firmware from creality work with the CR Touch too? I´m a little messed, I dont know if I have to boot only one .bin firmware file or I have to include 2 .bin in the sd, one for the printer itself and another for the CR Touch to work with it

Found one in creality´s website: https://www.creality.com/pages/download-ender-3?spm=..page_1934481.products_display_1.1
Will the one for Ender-3 Marlin2.0.6 CR-touch or BLtouch firmware be valid for my Ender 3 (having a 4.2.2 board)

You should boot just from one firmware file. CR-Touch is just another sensor. Look for firmware, which supports CR-Touch (it should have BLTouch or CR-Touch in the name). This one, which you pointed, should work for you. You can find pretty good instructions in "BL Touch Introduction", that is available above on Creality page.

Ok, I will try this as soon as I get to the printer. Thanks.

Hey. Have you managed to solve this issue?

Your CR Touch is either installed wrong or broken.
Auto home checks for the X and Y limit switches then goes to the center of the bed and drops the CR probe tip. The probe color should be total blue and the tip of the probe should drop about 5-6 mm, going well past the end of the nozzle.
The Z moves down, the probe tip touches, the probe is pushed into the assembly, and the light turns red. When the light goes red, the nozzle tip should still be somewhere around 1.8 to 2.0 mm above the plate. This is the Z-offset, it’s entered as a negative because that much further the nozzle must move in Z to reach the bed.
Repeat the measurement, retract the tip, move Z +10 mm, and stop. The probe tip when retracted should be above the nozzle tip maybe 1-2 mm.
If Auto home works as described above, the CR Touch is set up and working ok.
The problem is your Z-offset.
Set Z-offset to -5.0 mm. Run Auto Leveling, it should complete without the nozzle hitting the bed.
Run this procedure to set a reasonable Z-offset.
Set Z-offset to -1.72 mm on the display. Run a test print of anything. If you see string coming out of the nozzle and not sticking to the bed at all stop the print. Set Z-offset to -1.74 mm. Repeat.
Continue to move down this way in -0.02 mm steps until something starts to stick, then once or twice more until you can run the test print successfully to the end.
Run Auto Leveling it will work.
Alternatively, the nozzle is not installed or tightened correctly so it extends too low.
Lastly, gross mechanical misalignment.

After re-reading everything again. The reason you crash and the auto leveling stops is because of the Z-offset set near 0.0.

The reason it stops at the 7th location is because that corner of your bed is high despite some sort of manual leveling. With a near 0.0 Z-offset the nozzle tip is barely floating above the bed the whole time and crashes on the high corner. The nozzle should be cruising easily 2 mm above the bed while the probe measures the delta z from the offset at various positions to make its correction map.

@agarza I don´t think its a hardware or installation problem as it aligns with the screw holes for both the extruder and the br touch itself). It´s a thing of callibration or software issue.
Today I tested a print and the cr touch didnt stop for the first measurement at the center neither, but went down too far smashing the bed with the nozzle.
Also, I cannot calibrate the offset to negative values as 0.0 is the point where the paper is barely movable, so I cannot go any further.

You say you are new to this, but you’re doing a lot of significant upgrades to the machine. Is this a “new out the box” machine or an older machine restoration? Most of the videos on YouTube are new machine setup demos for newbies.

In either case, the “gross misalignment” I mentioned applies but it’s probably not too bad. Overall, the whole of the bed is too high. Mark the front of each adjustment wheel and then turn each two full turns to tighten the springs and lower the bed. You should need to dial in a negative Z-offset to get the nozzle on the bed at this point. Try Auto home and leveling.

If your machine is a straight Ender 3, did you remove the Z-limit switch and hard stop assembly when installing the CR Touch? You can’t really have both.

These are both methods of signaling (through change of state) what the Z-axis zero point is.  The advantage of the CR Touch is the repeatability of this signal relative to the bed.  I hope this works for you, it explains all symptoms you have reported so far.

I did remove the Z limit switch while installing and tried to lower the bed down, but the offset is still at zero. I´m going crazy now hahaha.

Mine is doing the exact same thing on the latest Marlin Bug Fix, Ender 3 Pro, 4.2.7 board and CR Touch. On the 7th point it pushes super far into the bed and engages the springs. There must be a bug, I am going to compile the standard release and see if the same thing happens.

Hi and welcome. This answer seems to be a cross between a "me too" type comment and a speculative fix (which, again, would serve better as a comment). Please [edit] and update your answer with a definitive solution as soon as you are able, otherwise this answer may be converted to a comment under the question... Also, please take the [tour].


text:
Failed filament dryer deformed my filament. Is it salvageable?
I bought a very famed filament dryer (won't mention the brand) which turned bad on me as I got a failed one; it got exceedingly hot (uneven 60-68 °C) and deformed an almost full PLA spool.
Aside from the spool itself (which was made from recycled PLA), the filament suffered deformation as it contracted and I had to disassemble the whole thing. I haven't checked yet if the diameter suffered a deviation enough to make it nonviable for the printer (it's 1.75 mm), but if not, is it salvageable or should I play it safe?
The PLA itself wasn't also very high quality, I'd like to add, but I don't want the approximately 800g left to go to waste.

It all depends on how much the filament is deformed. If there are not many conjoined places, and you can easily unroll the spool, it should be fine. You should also check filament diameter, because if it is too thick, it may clog in some places.
Although, I wouldn't use such filament for important prints. Keep it for prototyping and calibration.


text:
X-Axis out of whack. Print head crashing into bed during auto home
I have been able to print for almost a year, then it began to fail.
When I select Auto level from the LCD Screen, the print head moves to the front left, hovers the probe in the air, which causes the print head to crash into the bed while the (blue light is on) probe searches for the bed. Since the print head is too far to the left, the BLTouch probe can never find the bed and crashes the nozzle instead.
My setup:

Ender 3 Pro,
TH3D EZBoard Lite V1.2,
BLTouch Probe,
Marlin firmware,
Glass bed.

When I power on, and set 'Auto Home', it goes to 117,117,5 after every tutorial and video I watch on Z-Offset setting.
I reset the EEPROM, Level the bed and save settings during each X-Offset attempt.
I am only using the knob on printer's console for the settings. I have disconnected OctoPrint.
I made my last successful print over a year ago, as regardless of the video I watch, or the website tutorial I follow, I always get the 117,117,5 setting, which looks ok, but always crashes on Auto level.
My Firmware is compiled using the TH3D website for this purpose when using their boards.

What do you mean by this '117,117,5'?
What are your Probe Offset values? You can find these values under Advanced settings in your printer's display.

When did the problem start? All of a sudden, or after a firmware update or else?

When I select Autohome, the print head moves to 117,117,5 (x,y,z axis reading on the LCD screen @ info page)
I no longer remember what caused the problem the first time, It's been well over a year since I was able to print.


text:
How can I upload STL files to OctoPrint?
I started playing with OctoPrint and I already have it configured for external access and management, using OctoEverywhere.
I would like it to be an easy to use printer, because it is shared between people that don't use Cura or PrusaSlicer, so I want them to upload STL files and having a slicer built into the print server (printer is an Ender 3) for them to click a button and convert these STL files into a printable G-code. I have tried to add the printer to Cura but it says that the API connection key is invalid. Can anyone help me with this?

What is exactly the problem with adding your printer in Cura?

@kosteklvp I have no issues adding it via octopi.local once inside my local network. The problem is I have octoprint running on octoeverywhere and I would like to add it from that link instead of the octopi.local one, for sending the gcode to the printer over the internet instead of limiting to local network devices. When I add the printer in cura by the https://octoeverywhere link, I cannot request an API key from cura neither.

Giving people a bad experience  with 3D printing (for those who it isn't a hobby) is letting them slice their own files... (from experience, I maintain an Ultimaker printer for a staff association). Most users have no clue what a slicer does and how you should place your model and use what settings or materials.

How can I upload STL files to OctoPrint?

There are a few option from available plugins to upload and slice STL files, but these options are not powerful enough with respect to desktop standalone slicing application. Furthermore, when there are multiple materials in play, it is best you appoint some trained/experienced users to slice for others. This works very well from experience, it spreads the load over multiple people.
Also, most of the plugin options are not maintained for a while and use old slicing engines. This shouldn't be the way to operate a community printer.

You can upload G-code directly from Cura or PrusaSlicer, but you need to use a OctoEverywhere Shared Connection when you set up your OctoPrint or Klipper instance in Cura.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to set Cura with OctoEverywhere.

The latest Octoprint web UI (as of writing, Version 1.9.3) allows for drag n' drop for file upload.
Slice and export locally, then drag it over to the Web UI, or use the embedded upload button.

Do you know what the version number is (to save people later having to correlate the date of writing, release dates and versions numbers)? If so, please [edit] your answer and add it there.


text:
Ender 3 Pro reads SD G-code file names but won't print them
I have updated my Ender 3 Pro to 4.2.7. The printer boots up, I can move X, Y, and Z-axis from the Prepare > Axis screens. The printer also correctly reads the G-code file names from an inserted SD card.
However, when it should be printing based on G-code commands, the printer just stops. Printing used to work with the same SD card and make prints.
I updated the firmware with:
Ender-3 Pro_4.2.7_BLTouch_Marlin2.0.1_V1.1.2_TMC2225.bin
I am stuck!! Any ideas?

Always try a different SD card. Make sure that it is formatted as FAT32 (maximum size 32GB).


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Klipper can't find config files
I reinstalled Klipper with kiauh due to other issues I had.
The folder klipper_config is still filled with all important config files and all G-code data is there too. But when I start Klipper and enter Mainsail it can't connect to the MCU, can't find G-code files, and has no config files. It is accessing /config and not klipper_config. How do I change that?


text:
32-bit slicer software?
I purchased an Ender 3 v2 3D printer just before Christmas and I have the software on my laptop I was going to use for it. My laptop is a Windows 10 32-bit operating system.
However, the Creality slicer software v4.8 only works on 64-bit systems. Does anyone know what version I can download to use on my 32-bit Windows 10 laptop, please?

Does this answer your question: Slicer for 32 Bit Operating systems?

To date, end of December 2022, the last 32-bit version of PrusaSlicer is release 2.4.2.

You don't have to stick with Creality Slicer. You can use other popular slicers with your Ender-3 v2. I'm currently using PrusaSlicer 2.4.0 on my 32-bit laptop.

how old is your laptop? 32-bit computers have been obsolete since about 2007. You might have a 32-bit OS installed on a 64-bit laptop and then you should install the 64-bit OS instead


text:
Tool for modifing STLs?
I'm looking for a tool to modify STL files to make changes, before printing it. I know that it exists, but I don't know the name of the software.
For example, I have a STL file for a ball and I want to modify it to be more egg shaped by extruding or pushing. I'm looking for something like in The Sims games, where I could edit terrains just by clicking mouse and creating holes and hills.

Sculpting should be the tool you are looking for.
You can find a lot of sculpting software on the web, including free ones. I personally use Meshmixer and Blender for simple works.

Thanks you! This is exactly what I look for. I use Meshmixer


text:
Where did Cura get this ghost layer from?
I designed a very simple boat in Tinkercad and then I printed it. No problem, but I wanted it a bit wider. So I made it wider in Tinkercad and printed it again. This second version has a crack in the right side and it had some PLA mess in the boat. I thought nothing of it and printed it again. This third print also has this crack and some leftover PLA in the boat. So I checked out the design in Tinkercad, Cura, and in the print preview in Cura. Below are the results:

As you can see, the last image (the print preview) suddenly has this one (yellow-colored) layer which moves across the inner part of the boat. Exactly there, the boat also misses one layer from the hull, making a crack in the hull.
I then recreated the side in Tinkercad, exported another STL, and imported it into Cura again. But the ghost layer is still there. I finally tried all sorts of things, and when I recreated a little hole in the bow of the boat, the ghost layer went away.
I now wonder, how could this create the ghost layer across the inside of the boat at a place where the hole wasn't even located? And also, why could it only pop up on the print preview, and not in any of the other views?

What version of Cura are you using? Is it the most current version? Have you tried other versions?

Looks like an error in slicing. Check other slicer or other version of Cura, and see if this problem still occurs.

Your STL files is probably incorrect as caused by the Tinkercad model to STL translation. There are a few questions to be found on this issue. If you're lucky, @Trish may answer your question.

@agarza - I was using cura version 4.13.2 and I saw that the latest is 5.2.1 which I just installed. Using that, the weird ghost line is indeed vanished. Thanks for the tip! I install most of my software using an automatic updating system (apt/flatpak/snap), but I've must have installed this using something else.


text:
Prints coming out with jagged lines on the sides, rough edges
I am pretty new to 3D-printing, and I have just finished assembling my Prusa i3 a few days ago.
I finished up basic calibrations, which went fine, but noticed my prints were coming out with a bunch of rough lines on the sides. I looked online, and saw some things about adjusting flow rate, so I took that down from 95 to 90. I am not really sure what else to try right now. I have messed with layer height, which is at 0.2 mm now.
I have double-checked belt tensions and messed around with it, but the belt status seems to be hovering around 267 pretty consistently. I did try loosening it a lot more, but got the around the same, ~270 at max, even when extremely loose. Not sure what the belt tension should be feeling like, but it seems to check out with the guides.
I would appreciate any help or advice.

Calibration cube printed after tensioning the belts:

It looks like these are different issues now. It doesn't look like layer shifting anymore. Now, it has signs of under-extrusion and over-heating issues, according to the photo with calibration cube. What calibrations have you already made?

I redid xyz, lowered the tension screw for the extruded thing (not sure what the proper term is) and messed with belt tension a bit, but it’s basically where I started.

What material are you using? And with what temperature. Do extruder E-steps calibration first if you haven't already.

@kosteklvp the weirdest thing happened today. I clicked on some random gcode that was already on the sd card when I got it, and it magically printed out an almost perfect tree frog (minus a weak point on the legs.) I then printed out a benchy from that was also on the sd card, and it also almost went perfect, though it came off the printed in the final 15 minutes. Quality of these prints were completely opposite of what I had experienced before, with much less noticeable irregularities. I also modeled a 20mm cube, sliced it up in prusa again, and it worked perfect. will update original post.

Considered adding it as an answer, instead of an update to the question. It can help someone in the future.

It must have been something with the G-code, or how I was slicing it. I tried printing from the files that were already loaded on the SD card when I got it and it came out much better. I then modeled a cube and sliced it up carefully in PrusaSlicer and it also came out almost perfectly. Thanks to everyone who chimed in, really appreciate it and hope this can help someone else.

This is called Layer shifting. You should check belts tension and motor pulleys. It looks like your problem occurs only on the X-axis.

Thanks for the reply. Double checked that and messed around with it, but it seems to be hovering around 267 pretty consistently. I did try loosening it a lot more, but got the around the same, ~270 at max, even when extremely loose.

@notkvnchn - Please add any additional information to your question, so that all of the information is in one place. Actually I have just added it for you, this time.

@notkvnchn Have you checked if the gear on X-axis motor is tightened correctly? Both grub screws need to be tight, one of them has to be tightened against the flat part of the motor shaft.

@kosteklvp yeah just checked, both are snug

@notkvnchn I would recommend this tutorial, as it helped me with similar issue. Try everything from this video and see if this problem still occurs.

I tried following the steps, though most of it (like aligning the screw with the flat part of the shaft) was already done. Calibration cube is still printing out pretty bad though, not sure what else to try.

the belt might be shot

@notkvnchn Can you add photos of this cube to the question?

@kosteklvp Sure thing


text:
Print falls off the bed the majority of the way through a print
I have an Anker Make M5, and I am trying to print something that uses the majority of the build height, its roughly a 7 h print, I got an alert 6 h in that there was an error, checked and the print was on the floor and filament spooling out.
I don't think it's an adhesion issue as smaller prints are fine, and before it came off there was no sign of lifting.
Does anyone know what could cause this and fix that issue? So far I have added a raft to prints and increased bed temperature to 70 °C.

Are you printing PLA? Please update by [edit].

If a print falls over you have an adhesion issue. Do note that a raft is not the most sturdy support (depending on your options), there is always an air gap between the raft top surface and the bottom print surface. A raft is generally most useful when printing materials that have a considerable amount of shrinkage when cooling.
Increasing bed temperature might not be ideal either, depending on your material, if PLA, 70 °C may be too hot and thus too flexible.
Maybe a brim or adding "mouse ears" to your print help to improve adhesion.

So I should adjust the raft to be wider ? And the warmer bed was to prevent corners curling (which it did).

IMHO you should ditch the raft and use a brim.

done that and just started the print... we shall see in 7h.

@MrDDog Did it fall over?