Lower Layers are messy This picture pretty much shows the problem:

I print on a CR-10 and this thing is pretty much just a problem factory. Anyways, the latest problem that was never there before is that for some reason the first 2-4mm of the print are totally messed up like in the picture. That isnt that much of a problem for bigger parts (as in the right one) but smaller things such as the pi-coin (left) are absolutely useless now.

Things ive already checked that haven't fixed the problem:

Different PLA filament types (geetech, Janbex)
Different nozzles (0.3mm, 0.4mm)
Variations of smaller line withs (up to .05mm smaller)
Nozzle temperatures between 180°C and 215°C
Bed temperatures between room temp. and 80°C
Flowrates 85% of actual flowrate up to 105%
Printing speeds of 30mm/s to 80mm/s
Different location on the buildplate in case that parts of the rail are worn out
Cooling fan active all the time, off all the time, off for the first layers
Checked bed leveling
Checked extrusion
-Variations of all of these things

It is noticable that the first few lines are layed down perfectly but when filling out the circles (in the case of these models) the layer becomes very rough. After that every new layer just suffers from the quality of the previous one. There is also a scratching sound when the nozzle moves over the object. I slice with Cura (latest version) and Z-hop is active.

I also checked the Z-rod and it at least looks fine to me.

I am really running out of ideas. I even checked every screw on the printer (and found out that the x-Rail wasn't perfectly straight but that didnt fix it either).

This problem occured after I replaced the entire print head with a new one since the old one kept clogging.

Referring to the scratching, this could indicate that the nozzle is a little too close to the bed. This can be caused by a non-uniform bed, but that is unlikely in your case as you have tried printing on different areas of the build plate, this implies that the bed is correctly levelled. Still, the nozzle may be too close while having a perfect level bed (easily checked by using a metal ruler on its side over the bed). You could print an adjustable Z endstop trigger mechanism, there can be a few found on Thingiverse, e.g. this one or this one, it should enable you to fine-tune the nozzle to bed distance by turning the adjustment screw; the following image shows an example:

Note that a recent question has a solution that describes that the rollers had too much play on the profile.


Does anyone know the thread size (pitch and lead) of the Anet A8's lead screw? I bought a new printer, and unfortunately the left nut for the lead screw isn't tapped.

Does anyone know the thread size, w.r.t. both pitch and lead, of the lead screws?

I have the Anet A8, I confirm the threads are Tr8x8(p2). This is explained as "Tr" for trapezoidal thread followed by the nominal diameter in mm. The digits after the "x" denotes the lead of the screw (how much does the nut advance per revolution). The value between the brackets "p2" denotes the pitch. This means that the screw has 8 (lead) / 2 (pitch) = 4 starts.

More information on threads is found on Wikipedia.


Is my printer over extruding? I'm getting some slight pooling on the end of straight lines on my Ender-3

Is this due to over extruding? Or some other issue?

It looks like you some of your layers are printing with 100% infill.

If you are noticing plastic still coming out at the end of lines then I think your pressure in the nozzle is high when it is getting to the end of those lines and that pressure is pushing out the extra plastic.

That could be because your over extruding, but if it is only happening on layers where you are printing with 100% infill it could also be because lines are too close together and so when your trying to push out plastic to fill all the gaps in the model the pressure is building up in the nozzle because the gaps in the infill are to small for the amount of plastic the printer is trying to push into them.

I would see if it is happening on all your lines or is it worse on layers where the printer is printing 100% infill. Then maybe try adjusting the amount the printer is extruding and see how it changes the print.

Adjusting the speed could also make a difference. And some slicers have a setting to tell the printer to coast at the end of a line so the printer will stop extruding just before finishing a line as well. If you think the other setting are all tuned as good as you can get them then trying the coast setting might help for the model you are trying to print.


3d printer not printing circles correctly I am having issue with my new printer it is not printing circles correctly although I have change firmware and stepping of motor
advise if anyone know the solution.

Possible causes for the printer not printing correct dimensions:

Incorrect number of steps/mm in firmware settings
Belts are not tight enough
Pulley slips on the shaft

Looking at the picture, I would go for the first case, because distortion looks regular. Try checking microstep settings on your board, and settings in the firmware.


Configuration of the Anet A6 full graphic LCD 12864 on an Anet A8 I finished fixing my Anet A8 about the 3DTouch sensor working with the LCD2004 stock display, I am installing the full graphic display LCD 12864 (for Anet A6) but when I compile Marlin 1.1.9 the following error appears:

Arduino: 1.8.9 (Windows 7), Sheet: 'Anet V1.0 (Optiboot)'

c: / program files (x86) / arduino / hardware / tools / avr / bin /../ lib / gcc / avr / 5.4.0 /../../../../ avr / bin / ld. exe: C: Users Claudio AppData Local Temp aruino_build_739999 / Marlin - this_feature_good.ino.elf section `.text 'will not fit in region` text'

c: / program files (x86) / arduino / hardware / tools / avr / bin /../ lib / gcc / avr / 5.4.0 /../../../../ avr / bin / ld. exe: region `text 'overflowed by 1866 bytes

collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status

This happened after activating the Anet A6 display and deactivating the LCD2004.

Obviously given the low memory I performed the flash bootloader using ANET OPTIBOOT and reloaded the firmware.
If I deactivate the whole part of the 3DTouch, then the 12864 LCD display works properly, now I have 130 kbit (about 16 kB) memory left.

Arduino warns me if I do not have enough memory. In this case, instead of those errors I do not know what they are for. Maybe using an older Marlin version would help?

To downsize the firmware you can manually disable a lot of less useful stuff. E.g. why have 2 pre-heating profiles for PLA and ABS while you can set hotend and heated bed manually.

One of the largest memory savers is disabling arc support, G2/G3 commands aren't used by most slicer programs. From Configuration_adv.h can be found that you can save more than 3000 bytes:

//
// G2/G3 Arc Support
//
#define ARC_SUPPORT               // Disable this feature to save ~3226 bytes

You can probably find more features to disable to save memory, e.g. look into question "What can be removed from Marlin 1.1.9 to fit on 128K controller? I'm currently 318 bytes over", quoting:

//#define SHOW_BOOTSCREEN // enabled
//#define SHOW_CUSTOM_BOOTSCREEN // enabled
//#define CUSTOM_STATUS_SCREEN_IMAGE // enabled
//#define LCD_INFO_MENU // enabled, shows useless 'about printer' menu
//#define STATUS_MESSAGE_SCROLLING // enabled, saves some flash space
//#define DOGM_SD_PERCENT // disabled, show print % bar graph
//#define NO_WORKSPACE_OFFSETS // Disables M206 and M428
//#define ARC_SUPPORT // enabled, used for CNC toolpaths
#define NO_VOLUMETRICS // disabled, not used without width sensor?
//#define SCROLL_LONG_FILENAMES
#define SLIM_LCD_MENUS // Disable 'extraneous' menu items
//#define SPEAKER // Disable beeper if you don't want it.
//#define LEVEL_BED_CORNERS


Is there any setting that could allow me to print this overhang without support? I've been asked to print a set of this:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2200026

I used Slicer with my default settings for my FLSun printer which includes support and 0.2mm layer height and that rail was printed as whole block with some excess which would allow me to remove the support, but that didn't work because the support simply melted with the top part of the rail.

Tried again with no support and the first layer of the top part of the rail simply felt because there was nothing there to support it.

Is there any configuration that would allow me to print this bridge overhang correctly? Maybe printing the rail diagonally?!

Any help will be appreciated.

First of all a minor correction: the feature you are trying to print is not a bridge (which is an unsupported length of filament between two parts of the print) but rather a overhang (which is an unsupported length of filament supported only at one end).

The reason why your overhang is impossible to print without support is that slicers create a shell first or - in other words - trace the perimeter of the layer you are printing.  This feature, combined with the fact that your overhang is perpendicular to the part it originates from, causes the printer to try to extrude into thin air the perimeter of your rail, like this (the yellow lines are the shell, the red ones the infill):

In the image above, also the infill is extruded into thin air, but this is actually something that you can change in most slicers (look for "infill pattern orientation" or something similar).

One option you have is to tweak the support parameters to make it unobtrusive and easy to remove, like for example this:

(The above was done in Cura, with infill pattern "lines", spaced 5mm apart and no support interface or other additional structures).

Since your parts won't be subject to a great deal of mechanical stress another solution could be to change their printing orientation.  In the following example, the overhangs do actually become bridges and as such should print without problems:

Just consider it will take considerably longer to print.


3D printing enclosure with LED indication symbols -- is this possible? I am looking to print an enclosure, which will have a PCB inside with some LED indicators. I was wondering if it is possible to 3D print the enclosure such that the following look can be achieved? What material and technique?

When LEDs are off, it looks something like this:

WHen the LED turns on, it looks like this (illuminated symbols):

Achieving this with 3D printing would be quite difficult, and you might be better served by creating this effect some other way (I would personally recommend getting some inkjet transparencies and stacking a few layers together: an entirely black layer, and a few layers with the symbols in negative space).

One way that you might be able to achieve this using just a common FDM printer is to print the part face down, and printing just a single layer or two that covers the entire face, and then printing more layers that cover everything but the symbols. However, those symbols look small and detailed and you might not be able to reproduce such detail.


Can RAMPS 1.4 be used for a 3D printer? I am making a DIY 3D printer on a budget. So, I came across a kit with RAMPS 1.4 with an Arduino Uno which is really a great price. But, I don't know if the RAMPS board and the stepper driver (DRV8825) which it supplies, can be used to make a 3D printer. And also will it come with average quality parts as the total amount of that kit is 2999 rupees or 40 dollars. Here is a picture if needed:

To answer your question, yes, RAMPS 1.4 can be used for a 3D printer, but note that it is an outdated platform.
But...
From the supplied image can be concluded that the seller doesn't have a clue what is being sold in the webshop ( e.g. incorrect naming for the shield, 3 stepper motors and 4 stepper drivers?!?).
This is not a RAMPS set (RAMPS is a shield for an Arduino Mega 2560) but a CNC shield set. An Arduino Uno isn't typically the hardware used for a 3D printer (better suited for laser cutter), but you could use it. Also RAMPS itself is already outdated, there are other options for a bit more money.

With a limited budget and limiting the time and frustration spent on building your own first printer from scratch it might be more economical to buy a 3D printer kit; a kit has all the parts for frame and electronics to get started relatively quick. These kits are documented, have upgrades and have proven to work and can be used to build a better 3D printer (that is exactly what I did). Note that building a printer yourself is usually not more economical, large kit manufacturers have discounts on buying parts in bulk which you don't have. Unless you are building a printer from wood/MDF and have a lot of parts readily available a kit may be a more economical solution.


Will this MOSFET allow the heat bed to run at a different voltage than the control board I am currently running my Tronxy X5s with a MKS Gen L board. So far I have not ran the heat bed over 50 degrees C since I have only printed with PLA so far. I plan to try PETG and/or ABS in the near future and I have a spare power supply 12V/360W laying around.

When I first got my printer I purchased this external MOSFET board after reading about X5s "upgrades", but so far have not used it.

My plan is to now run the heat bed using a separate power supply than the one running my control board using the external MOSFET to switch it. Since this power supply will only be powering the bed, I would like to bump up the voltage, via trim-pot somewhere from 12V-15V, to gain some watts per square inch on my heat bed.

Will this MOSFET isolate the heat bed circuit from my control board to allow it be ran at a higher voltage? Is it safe to run the power supply/heat bed at a higher voltage than it is rated for a significant amount of time?

Short answer YES. You can run it from a different power supply at a higher voltage. Also it has a PC817 Optical isolator (for some reason) therefore the second power supply and your main board should not be electrically connected at all.


Why does my part-cooling fan cause stringing? Really strange observation with my MP Select Mini V2 printing PLA. I've printed a dual-fan shroud so I can have a dedicated part-cooling fan. I've noticed that when I turn it on, the extruder starts stringing everywhere. Little tiny spider-web wisps. No amount of temperature change will make them go away (printing at 200 °C). But if I simply turn off the part-cooling fan, I get a perfect print. This doesn't make sense to me - isn't the part-cooling fan supposed to reduce stringing by cooling the filament faster?

More info: Using Ultimaker Cura 3.4.1, retraction enabled at 3.5 mm and 40 mm/s, which works great when the part-cooling fan is OFF. But when I turn it on without changing any other settings, I get stringing everywhere.

Please see picture below. The part on the left was printed using the part-cooling fan and the one on the right was printed without the part-cooling fan. No other changes. The part-cooling fan is pictured in upper left (bottom fan).

Why does my part-cooling fan cause stringing?

Note that I print at 0.175 mm layer height, or "Normal" for the MP Mini. The cooling fan can be controlled but if I turn it completely off then the cold end part of the nozzle won't get actively cooled. Using Cura I can slowly increase the fan over the first several levels as well, but I'm worried that if the cold end doesn't stay cold it will get clogged up with melted filament. I will try some different fan speed settings and report back - currently running at 100 % all the time.

I went back to the stock shroud with single fan to remove variables. The stock shroud has a small vent at the bottom where air blows over the part, but not much. I had the same problem - I had to put a piece of tape over the blow hole to get the part to print without strings. I also couldn't get the PLA to stick to the bed easily when the blow hole was open. I'm not using the heated bed in any cases - I've found I can print most PLA without heating the bed at all. I'm beginning to think maybe this PLA is just extremely temperature sensitive. The brand is 3D Solutech Printer Filament Real Black.

Prior to a move the print cooling fan causes the filament to cool on the outside while the nozzle is still hot, when it then moves it causes a strings to form that will be cooled instantly. This means that the cooling you have is too much and should be reduced.

This printer has a single fan to cool the cold-end and the print through a slot with the same fan. As this fan can be scheduled, it would be recommended to create a dual fan on the carriage where you have a dedicated fan cooling the cold end at a fixed voltage, while the print is cooled by a separate fan that can be scheduled through slicer settings.


How to paint ABS to look like wood I have a piece printed in white ABS, which is a half-scale replica of an unvarnished oak sculpture. After sanding off the worst of the layer lines, I'd like to paint it to get a nice wood finish. I believe that most hobby paints should stick fine, but how should I paint it to get a nice oaky appearance? Should I do layers of different colours? Will I get better results with spray or brush paints?

I found step-by-step instructions on Instructables specific to 3D-printed parts. In summary:

Sand and brush with acetone for a smooth finish (I guess the acetone vapour treatment would work as well.)
Prime with plastic primer
Spray-paint with a satin, nutmeg-coloured base coat
Add grain with darker, acrylic paint using a fine brush


Flexible filament how to print a hollow "sleeve" I need to print a flexible, hollow "sleeve" or "cover" for an elongated part, kind of like a soft "skin" for a "finger" (see pic). I'm not sure how to approach the hollow space problem, i.e. how to print a flexible surface that is above an enclosed, hollow space. I could print supports inside, but they'd be hard to remove from inside the space, because I can't quite access all corners with a tool from outside. I could print this in 2 parts ("bottom" / "walls" + "ceiling" separately), but I'd prefer not to glue if I don't have to. Any ideas how to approach this?

Print orientation is usually the key to print with a minimum of supports. If you print this part with the sharp point down, you will get some support structures on the outside for overhang support to prevent it from tipping over, but no support on the inside.


Is a heated bed an essential component for printing (difference between Creality Ender 3 or Anycubic Mega Zero)? I have two options - to buy either the Ender 3 or the Mega Zero. I'm heading towards Ender 3 because the Mega Zero doesn't have a heated bed.

My question is, how is a printer without a heated bed (the Mega Zero) a better option than one with a heated bed (the Ender 3)?

Why would I even consider buying a printer without a heated bed when the Ender 3 can do the same things and has a heated bed? I want be able to print not only PLA but other materials as well. Doesn't the Mega Zero limit you to using only PLA?

I used to print PLA with my heated bed turned off, since it was deforming when heated.

It works perfectly fine, only detaching the print was terribly difficult.

I would not buy a printer without it, because even a weak bed reaching only 50°C gives you many more possibilities.

I mean, you could use it to keep your coffee warm while you work at the computer, or to warm up chemical solutions to make them react faster. You can also use the bed to shake the solution!

Go for a heated bed.


Creatorbot-3D Kickstarter assembly instructions I disassembled my printer a couple of years ago for a move and now I'm getting back to it and can't find the manual detailing the assembly anywhere and the google drive link is gone. Does anyone have a copy of the PDF somewhere?

In the comments for the Kickstarter, there is a Google Drive link that is still active here.


Cura Filling holes from a model from Blender I am Attempting to print this, from Blender

But Cura decides to fill in the middle part of the model.

I exported and imported the model from an STL file.

If anyone can answer this, that would be greatly appreciated.

Try disabling the "Union Overlapping Volumes" option on Mesh Fixes section. Worked for me.


Severe regression in print quality after adding Z probe I installed a BLTouch on my printer (Wanhao Duplicator i3) with Marlin 2.0.5.3 and enabled AUTO_BED_LEVELING_BILINEAR.

However, the results are disastrous when I print. The first few layers do not adhere to the build plate at all. It is much worse with the probe than when I was leveling by hand.

In my Marlin configuration,  I left the probe's Z offset from the nozzle at 0. Then I went through the Z offset calibration process to set Z=0 to barely touching the build plate. Then I ran the bed leveling process.

How can I diagnose what's going wrong?

When I run G30 X100 Y100 to probe the center of the bed, I get a measurement of Z=1.18. I'm assuming that represents the true Z offset between the probe and the nozzle tip?

Here's another thing I tried. I probed with G30 X100 Y100 which output a measurement like this:

Recv: Bed X: 100.00 Y: 100.00 Z: 0.06

I tweaked the Z offset with M851 Z... repeatedly until a probe yielded Z: 0.00 (the offset was -1.07). Then I ran G29 to run bed leveling, which gave me this grid:

Bilinear Leveling Grid:
      0      1      2      3      4      5      6      7      8
 0 -0.403 -0.313 -0.258 -0.210 -0.178 -0.138 -0.128 -0.085 -0.058
 1 -0.285 -0.223 -0.178 -0.145 -0.103 -0.060 -0.050 -0.023 -0.045
 2 -0.178 -0.128 -0.080 -0.083 -0.078 -0.053 -0.045 -0.048 -0.038
 3 -0.103 -0.058 -0.028 -0.030 -0.018 -0.015 -0.018 -0.000 -0.030
 4 -0.020 +0.015 +0.015 +0.002 -0.000 -0.013 -0.035 -0.060 -0.088
 5 +0.030 +0.055 +0.037 +0.020 +0.035 -0.015 -0.023 -0.073 -0.140
 6 +0.060 +0.082 +0.087 +0.020 -0.000 -0.055 -0.103 -0.160 -0.210
 7 +0.097 +0.102 +0.082 +0.055 +0.002 -0.035 -0.105 -0.138 -0.265
 8 +0.145 +0.130 +0.102 +0.077 -0.045 -0.108 -0.183 -0.193 -0.263

You can see at (4,4), the center of the bed is 0.0.

Then I saved the mesh and Z-offset with M500. I confirmed repeatedly that G28 puts the nozzle just touching the build plate and not pushing on it.

This strategy seems to be work alright. I'm not sure if it's the correct way to do it. I'd welcome any feedback. If anything, I think I should probably raise the nozzle a fraction of a millimeter higher off the bed.

Even with Auto Mesh Bed Leveling, you need to level the bed as good as you can. Your leveling grid show it varies between -0.403 and +0.145, that is about 0.55 mm or about 2-3 layers of filament (0.2 or 0.3 mm per layer). That can't be compensated for reasonably.

Re-level your bed so that the corners only have an absolute error of at max 0.1 mm around their average 0 - that's half what I consider the standard layer 1 height of 0.2 mm, regardless of other settings.
Make sure the 0 of the extended probe is a sliver under the nozzle, just to prevent piercing your bed on probing
G28 should bring the nozzle a hair sliver above the bed - if you move the head in X or Y direction (by hand after disabling the steppers, or move the carriage using the LCD) it should not make contact.


How can I print gears using very high resolution material like nylon I'm trying to gear down a servo even further. I notice that the majority of the gears are made of nylon, and I want to create new gears that come close to the resolution and strength of the existing gears. I have a Replicator 2, but the resolution does not seem to come close to what I need. Any suggestions on how I can create nylon or other hard material parts that might work?

Proceeding with the expectation that you mean nylon rather than vinyl, there are a few options open for you. What resolution are you seeking? Layer thickness of 0.100 mm is quite good, allowing for ten layers per mm of part thickness, with infill adjusted as required.

If you've already determined that your printer will not print at the resolution required for your gear design, you would perhaps purchase a higher resolution printer. Of course, that may be an expense you would like to avoid.

If your parts count is small, you could consider to print samples of the parts to confirm fit, but not worry about strength and then use an online service to have them printed via SLS method.

Selective Laser Sintering places nylon powder on the work surface, then selectively melts the powder into a solid. Each layer when completed is covered with another layer of powder and fused to the previous portion (or not) until the part is complete.

Because the un-fused powder provides support, there is no requirement for the model to have supplemental support structures. There is a requirement/objective that the part have "drain holes" in areas which might otherwise be solid. Any surface that entraps powder is charged to the purchaser as if the space within is included in the part.

An example would be a cube that can be printed as six square faces only. The cube wall thickness can be specified and if a drain hole is incorporated, the cost would be the volume of the walls only. No drain hole would mean the cube would be charged for the entire volume.

For gears, which are typically low profile/flat items, that's a minor consideration.

The same concept applies to SLA printing, which uses a laser in a vat of resin. If the model is a solid with no drain holes, the interior will retain the resin. It is possible that the interior can be cured with strong UV light and/or sunlight, but opaque resins would not accept this work-around, nor would it reduce the cost involved. Also note that SLA printed items would lack the necessary strength.

If farming out your parts is the direction you intend to travel, ensure the dimension stability reference in the vendor you use. Nylon sintered parts will shrink a known amount during the fusing process. The vendor should provide the appropriate reference, or the vendor should confirm that he adjusts the model appropriately for shrinkage.

I have one very tiny part constructed from SLS nylon and it's amazingly strong for such a thin wall. Nylon wears well too.


Print is not properly laminated at certain height I have a Wanhao Duplicator i3.

I have done many excellent prints with this printer, and have first hand experience that it can do a pretty much flawless print.

But... Recently, I am experiencing weird results. My "flow" seems uneven. When laying down the first layer of the raft, I can see it looks like it "beads" in some places. Thin lines with little "beads" here and there (which seem to be in a constant pattern) i.e. -------()-----()-----()------()------ etc.

I initially thought, wet filament... But drying the filament had no noticeable effect. Further more, all my prints seem to be horribly laminated at a certain "height" of the print. This is really strange as it will print perfectly and only at a certain height, mess up about 5mm of layers (height wise), and then print great again. This seems to be a constant now.

I dont understand how/why this could happen, as the whole z-axis is on a linear spiral shaft. Unless there is a gcode issue somewhere that I am not aware off. I am using CURA as my slicer and I feel that even if there was an isnturuction hidden somewhere at a certain height, it would possibly effect a single layer, and not 5mm worth of layers.

Any ideas?

I have tried:

Different filament
Pushing flow % to 105 and 110% respectively
Cleaned extruder gears and print head
Oiled z-axis shafts

What baffles me, is the weird delamination (or rather lack of lamination) at a certain height. I have not measured this height exactly, but from guestimating, it looks like roughly the same height on every print where the issue is visible (about 3/4 up in the attached image). My support structures are also VERY messy, whilst they were very precise and perfect previously.

Thanks

This looks like a heating or retraction issue. I also have a Di3, and I encountered a similar problem a while ago. I have found that leveling the bed very well and making sure the z-axis is aligned fixes most problems with this machine. Re-calibrate your printer and try out a different slicer. This link from the 3D Printer Wiki is very useful.


Retainer for PTFE in throat I've tried using a throat with a PTFE tube, but encountered the problem described in this question. It seems only a small amount of excess pressure in the extruder is enough to force out the inner tube. This makes me worry that with this particular part, I won't achieve a reliable configuration (and I'm experiencing some binding with the original plain steel throat, so a PTFE liner seems worth exploring).

I was wondering about the advisability of using a retainer to apply some pressure at the cold end - a nut with a washer soldered on maybe.

My goal is to prevent the teflon tube from rising up, so I can use this part and retain some resilience against excess extrusion pressure. I was assuming I had a slightly sub-standard throat part (in a pack of 6).

However, I now wonder if the problem was caused by too high a temperature (this is ABS filament) and maybe the teflon will be too soft to function as designed, so if I go back to PLA filament, maybe it is more likely to work without modification.

In this case I would like to first recommend replacing your PTFE tube with a better quality product. Unfortunately, the quality:price ratio is as to be expected here. My reasoning:

PTFE has great thermal properties for a polymer, just like ABS. In fact, the glass-transition state begins at relatively the same temperature between the two materials. ABS starts transitioning at about 105°C and about 127°C for PTFE.

However PTFE, traditionally, has a much higher melting point at about 327°C as opposed to the usual 125° we use in 3D printing.

My Point: I think the hardware you currently have has low-quality PTFE.

PTFE can be recycled for re-use in other PTFE products. In recycled PTFE, you can lose a lot of the desired properties in the material (true for any material). This includes both the ideal "friction-less" and thermal resistance we need in 3D Printing.

What I think happened: The higher print temperatures of ABS transitioned the PTFE into its glass-state. As the throat expands, the path of least resistance in the assembly is towards the extruder motor since the nozzle holds more pressure.

I would not recommend "fixing" this problem with a retainer! By forcing the PTFE throat to stay in position, you could potentially force the PTFE to expand in other ways. Most likely resulting in constricting the filament, leading to grinding of filament on the drive gear and clogging of the nozzle. Worst case, you end up with gooey PTFE in your nozzle and/or around your retainer.


No movement on any axis on Ender 3 Pro I've printed the dog that came on the SD card of my new Ender 3 pro, and everything worked great.  Today, I turned on the unit and plugged in a Raspberry PI Zero to the Ender's USB port.  The rPi is running the latest version of OctoPrint.
Now, when I try to Auto home, I hear a very brief sound of a motor staring to move on an axis, and then the Ender halts.  I've power cycled it several times.  When I trying to use the panel on the Ender to move on any axis the same thing happens: it sounds like it's starting to move, and then never actually tries to move again until after I power cycle.  This is the same no mater which axis I try to move.
I've reinstalled the lated firmware on the Ender.  I've opened up the machine to make sure that all of the cables are attaches to the motherboard.  I've checked the actuation of the stopper switches and unplugged the switch and motor connectors.

I upgraded to the latest firmware, and now everything works again.


Simplify3D, connection disapear after slice I have a problem with some models like this (trim_tabs version) : https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3401852

When I import the model on simplify, the tabs are sticky to the model (see pic3.png) but when I slice it, on the preview, tabs are not sticky to the model (see pic1.png).

I tried to do it on Cura and it works ; tabs stay stiky to the model (see pics2.png).

What's wrong ?
I attach my Simplify and Cura profile to help.

To get pics and profiles :
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NkMBosI-xalRGjTSua1xDejZ2MKWZcV9

I've tried that item as well.  In fact, other than the heart, I built a remix  which works better but is still difficult to free up after printing.  Those tabs you're concerned about will print better at a very low (thin) layer setting.

I am pretty sure that the original design is faulty.  All the "leaves" have gears which cause them to rotate when the threaded ring is turned.  But the designer made all leaves identical!  Each one needs its gear's  null-position set differently so that it properly meshes with the thread positions of the outer ring at that leaf's placement.  Some day I may remix to adjust those gear positions....


How to build Cura on Windows? I am interested in doing development on Cura.  Initially I want to start with the UI rather than the Engine.  I have found the repository and have cloned it to my PC.  I have also looked over the Wiki and searched the web.  For such a popular open-source product, I was surprised I couldn't find a build guide.

Can someone direct me on how to get started.  I have a LOT of experience in Software Development (more years and languages than I want to admit to); but, I have never used Python.  Consider that in your instructions.

The repository's README.md includes a section titled "Build Scripts", with a link to another repository: https://github.com/Ultimaker/cura-build

This includes dependencies and instructions for building Cura on Windows.


Printing with Polycarbonate keeps warping I'm trying to print a large piece with polycarbonate but it keeps warping, I'm using a Taz 5 printer and setting 290 C in the extruder and 145 C in the heating bed.

Other setting I have are:

printing speed: 20 mm/s
layer height: 2.5mm
infil: 20%
brim: 15mm

Can anyone tell me any tips or suggestions to avoid warping?

Adjusting the design may also be able to help limit the amount of warping you get.

One of the major causes of warping is upper layers contracting while cooling when laid down over now-cool(er) lower layers which no longer contract so much but are still thin enough to flex when subject to tension along their upper edge. Insertion of strategically placed gaps in upper layers can reduce the tension such layers are able to apply.

I was printing some long thin beams in ABS. I inserted horizontal-axis holes along the beams (making them look a bit like LEGO Technic beams rather than solid pieces). It did the job for me.


Stop and continue 3D printing How to successfully pause 3D printing and turn off the printer and the next day, continue to print the model?

If you enable M413 in Marlin firmware, the printer will write a resume printing file to SD card e.g. every layer.
From M413 - Power-loss Recovery documentation I quote:

Enable or disable the Power-loss Recovery feature. When this feature is enabled, the state of the current print job (SD card only) will be saved to a file on the SD card. If the machine crashes or a power outage occurs, the firmware will present an option to Resume the interrupted print job. In Marlin 2.0 the POWER_LOSS_RECOVERY option must be enabled.
This feature operates without a power-loss detection circuit by writing to the recovery file periodically (e.g., once per layer), or if a POWER_LOSS_PIN is configured then it will write the recovery info only when a power-loss is detected. The latter option is preferred, since constant writing to the SD card can shorten its life, and the print will be resumed where it was interrupted rather than repeating the last layer. (Future implementations may allow use of the EEPROM or the on-board SD card.)

This means if you cut the power you can resume the print layer, the only problem is that the part must remain attached to the plate, if it comes loose it is hard to resume printing. This feature is now commonly found on printers these days.
The regular pause and resume functionality of the printer will not work when the power is cut over night, i.e. no recovery file is written in such a case.


3d printer drip problem I have a problem with my 3d printer. When I am printing, the printer seems to drip.
I am very confused because I never saw this before and I do not know what to do.

I attach a picture of it.

Why does this happen?

Thank you very much for yours ideas.

DATA:

Printer: Anet A8
Material: PLA
Temperature: 200ºC

I Have enable retraction and I tried to disable it without changes...

I have two theories to offer.

It is really dripping.  If this is the case, the likely culprit is a loose part in the hot-end, namely the nozzle/heating block coupling, or the heating block/heat break one.  If this is the case, you should be able to see it by visually inspecting the part.  The solution in this case is to fully disassemble the parts, clean them thoroughly of any remaining plastic, and reassembling them while hot.  This is essential, as parts that are assembled cold have the tendency to come loose when heated (due to thermal expansion).

It is overextruding, and the nozzle collect and drag around the excessive plastic, until the blob is big enogh to detach and remain on the bed.  If this is the case, then you should calibrate your extruder, and the nozzle height.


How to fix bad extrusion that's likely caused by high pressure in the nozzle I've got a secondhand Renkforce RF1000 which I can't seem to get working properly. Initially, I asked about hardware issues that required fixing. After fixing those I still got some inconsistent printing results. These problems got worse with a new nozzle and new filament.  I've now narrowed it down to one problem: bad feeding

To summary:

I've got a secondhand Renkforce RF1000
I print using 2.85 mm PLA
I've got a new 0.3 mm nozzle
I've got new springs for holding the filament against the extruder

The feeding mechanism

The problem seems to be that the pressure for extruding filament through the nozzle is too high. This causes the grub screw to keep spinning without extruding filament. So in the picture, the left screw will spin and the right one will remain stationary.

This isn't consistent, it might work for a few millimetres and then stop working for a bit. It can cause the screw to grind into the filament creating a hole that cuts the filament in two.

Here's what I've done to try and fix it:

Cleaned the nozzle with new 0.25 mm needles
Cleaned the nozzle with acetone against ABS that was stuck
Did a few cold pulls to confirm there's no filament stuck in the heater.

This wasn't the case and when removing the nozzle I could easily push or pull filament through.

Tightened and loosened the screws holding the filament against the grub screw

Too tight causes clicking or more grinding. Too loose causes the filament to just not get caught at all

I'm out of ideas of how to fix this. Any help you can give is greatly appreciated.

EDIT: here are some video's extruding 50 mm of filament at 2 mm/s and 10 mm/s

Controls

10 mm/s

2 mm/s
(both links to imgur, didn't manage to get the video inline)

EDIT 2:

I replaced the driving gear and replaced the new nozzle with an old one. I'm not sure about the size of the old one but I assume it is 0.5 mm. I calibrated the extrusion and tested at 1 mm filament per second, I now get the exact results. However, when printing two 20mm calibration cubes I get quite bad results. The first cube (left) is printed at a 1.0 extrusion multiplier and the second one (right) is printed with a 0.95 extrusion multiplier. Any idea what these quality problems are caused by?

[
[
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I think you are pushing filament too fast.

Let's go back to the basics: my hotend (old Ubis, ceramic) and extruder can push PLA at 230°C at max 80 mm/s * 0.5 mm line width * 0.2 mm layer height = 8 mm3/s.

At this speed it doesn't extrude very well, there is too much back pressure (see also

            ). That extrusion speed means (I have 3 mm filament) 1.13 mm/s of filament speed (8 mm3 / 1.52 / pi).

You have 0.3 mm nozzle and you print colder, both of which cause more resistance to the flow. If 8 mm3/s is my absolute max, yours should be about 8 * 9/16 (ratio of the nozzle surfaces) = 4.5 mm3/s (really the max).

Considering the different print temperature, I would start limit to 3.5 mm3/s, which is 0.55 mm/s extrusion speed.

If you print 0.15 mm layers with line width of 0.35 mm, your absolute max printing speed should be 3.5 mm3 / 0.15 /0.35 = 65 mm/s (which is better not to reach, 60 is fine).

Try doing the following tests: after cleaning the driving gear, extrude 50 mm filament at 0.3 mm/s and measure how much filament has been extruded. Then repeat 50 mm with 0.5 mm/s, and measure how much filament has been extruded. Try again at 0.75 mm/s. Obviously don't touch E steps and extrusion multiplier. I'm quite sure that at 0.75 mm/s you will notice a measurably shorter length of filament extruded. At 1 mm/s you will see grinding (but not as much as now).

If you want, try at regular intervals 0.2, 0.3 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 mm/s and plot a graph of the actually extruded filament length. It will look like the one in the video (where he extruded a lot more and weighed the filament, which is time consuming and more expensive).

And then switch to 0.4 mm nozzle if it's too slow for your needs.

Additional information

You use 2.85 mm filament with a direct drive, no gears. Judging from your video the radius if the driving gear (teeth) is about 4 mm, meaning 4*2*pi=25.1 mm circumference. The circumference is controlled with 200 steps * 16 microsteps, as result each microstep controls 4*2*pi/200/16 mm filament length, which is 0.05 mm3 and what you extrude along a 0.95 mm length (at 0.15 mm layer height and 0.35 mm line width). Basically your extruder has no control for moves shorter than 0.95 mm, but in fact it's even 4x worse, since you never get a single microstep precision (4 microsteps of tolerance is more reasonable).

You should probably use a much bigger nozzle, or 1.75 mm filament, or a geared extruder, or prints will never be accurate and you will have problems all the time, which you cannot physically solve.


Does anyone have a Simplify3D configuration file for a Lulzbot TAZ 5 with a 0.5mm nozzle? I've been searching, but I'm coming up empty-handed. They have a file for the TAZ with the 0.35mm nozzle, but I'm not certain if I can just change the nozzle size and be done with it.

Have you tried the configuration assistant under the "Help" menu?

From S3D 3.0.2

And yes, you can just change the nozzle size in the process "Extruder" tab and be done with it, if you're using auto extrusion width. If you're using manual extrusion width, also change that to be equal or greater than the nozzle size.

S3D will handle everything else. It's not a bad idea to recalibrate extrusion multiplier (with 100% infill 20x20 calibration boxes) but it isn't strictly necessary.

General tip for switching to a larger nozzle: while you get used to it, make sure you preview your sliced files carefully looking for areas with gaps or missing details smaller than the extrusion width.


Is there a lubricant that can be used for linear bearings, bronze sinter bushings and threaded rods alike? My printer will feature LM8UU bearings/threaded rods for the z-axis and bronze sinter bushings on the x- and y-Axis.

As also, but not only, written here http://reprap.org/wiki/Lubrication, I know that one should:
 - use machine oil for sinter bearings, if anything at all,
 - grease on the 'more fluid' side for the linear bearings so that the lubricant stays eqally with balls on the upper and lower side
 - and probably PTFE grease for the threaded rods (as for example provided by the Ultimaker UM2)

Is there a way to unify this or at least only use two lubricants?
I do not have the slightest idea about lubricants, I would not know what to actually buy if the combination would e.g. be machine oil and low viscosity grease. Do you have specific recommendations of what to avoid?

A mid-weight PTFE grease like the popular Superlube will work in all the cases you mention (bearings, screws, and sintered bushings). 3D printer service conditions are quite light-duty as far as lubricants are concerned. You really just need to keep everything a little bit "wet" with oil or grease and performance will be adequate.

The main downside to using grease with sintered bushings is that they will likely stop being "self-lubricating" after the first exposure. The grease tends to clog the pores that allow the sintered bushings' factory oil impregnation to maintain a nice oil film on the sliding surfaces. So the bushings will forever-after require regular re-greasing, just like the ball bearings and threaded rod.

In comparison, a light machine oil like 3-in-one will maintain the sintered bushings' self-lubricating properties, but if used in ball bearings and screws will require very frequent replenishment. And that is certainly an option -- oil DOES work on bearings and screws -- but odds are good that you'll eventually over-oil the bearings, get drips on the build plate, and bang your head against a wall trying to figure out why your prints won't stick all of a sudden. Grease doesn't need to be applied as often, and it tends to stay where you put it rather than dripping. So grease is generally preferred to oil if you have to pick just one lubricant.

Again, the most important thing is to keep sliding and rolling surfaces wet with something. You'll just have various maintenance trade-offs with different options.


Y-axis movement error I have a used Creality CR-10S and I have been using it for one day.  I seem to be having problems with my Y-axis.  Several times when I selected "Auto home", the bed only moved part of the distance it should have for the head to get to the bottom left corner.  It is only the bed movement that has the problem; the head successfully goes to the extreme left each time.

It does not always happen and when it does, it seems to usually go half as far as it should, but once the bed did not move back at all.  I am having a similar problem on "Bed Auto Leveling". Once when it was supposed to go to the back left corner, the nozzle went past the bed by about 5mm.  I tried to reposition it with "Move axis" but it thinks it is at 0.00 and it won't let me go negative.  One way I can fix it is to "Disable steppers" and then move the bed by hand.
I have done two prints and in both cases there was no Y-axis drift during the print. After first print, "Auto home" only went half way but I was not paying attention to other details.  After the second print the machine was off and I moved the bed by hand in response to @octopus8.  Then I turned it on and selected "Auto home". The head descended and moved all the way to the left but the Y-axis did not move at all.
When I move the bed by hand through its entire range, either with the machine off or after choosing "Disable steppers", it is pretty smooth. It has some resistance to movement, about the same as the X-axis resistance. I can feel very small "steps" if I move it very slowly.  These are both consistent throughout its entire range.  There are no individual spots where it behaves differently.
I have made sure that the bed's belt is tight.  I check the wheels.under the bed.  I cleaned them with a rag.  When I turned them by hand, several were slipping against the rail (not causing the bed to move when I turned the wheel.)  I tightened their bolts and that tightened some of them against the rail but a couple others still slip against the rail.  Is this important? After these adjustments and turning printer on, "Auto home" worked and the steps on "Bed Auto Leveling" also did the correct things.  I will report on more post-adjust experience as I get it.
Ever since I tightened the Y-axis belt and wheels I have not had the problem happen again having done 10+ prints. I tried the gcode that @octopus8 suggested at various speeds and the print head always ended up back where it started.
I will keep printing and if I experience the problem again I will investigate more then.

octopus8 recommended doing a series of tests to determine the cause of the problem.
I started with moving the bed by hand (remember to have machine off or choose "Disable steppers" from "Prepare" menu) and the movement was relatively smooth with some resistance, the same as when moving the X-axis.  If you move very slowly you can feel slight, small "steps", this is normal. The movement was consistent across the range of movement.
Since this did not indicate a problem, I moved on to checking the drive belt and the bearing wheels.  The belt had a small amount of slack which I tightened.  Several of the wheels under the bed slipped against the rail they run along.  I tightened these.  This improved the movement of a couple of them but a couple still slipped a bit.
After this I did not have the problem anymore.  For 10+ prints over a week or so, there was no incorrect Y-axis movement and "Auto home" always worked. Nevertheless I continued with the next test suggestion which was to send some simple gcode to the printer via USB.  I used both Ultimaker Cura 4.8.0's Monitor mode as well as [sending the commands from the linux terminal][1].  I sent the commands
G28
G0 F<speed>
G0 X200 Y0
G0 X200 Y200
G0 X0 Y200
G0 X0 Y0

with values of 900,1800,2700,3600 and 4500 for  and everytime the print head returned to the same place.
This is evidence that the tightening of the belt and wheels likely fixed the problem.
[1]: How to directly send G-code to printer from a Linux terminal?


Extruder drive cog slipping on filament I've been printing PLA on a Pegasus 12" for 2 years. Print quality has been great but in the last few months the quality of the prints has deteriorated. After looking into it, it seems when the head moves away from the spool and puts the filament in tension (and pulls on the spool) the extruder cog slips on the filament.
That results in traces where no plastic gets extruded the furthest away the head moves from the spool (the spool is on the left in the picture below):

The cog slipping can be seen between 0:22 and 0:27 on the video below: the cog on the right spins continuously but the ball bearing on the left stops spinning for 5 seconds.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cTfySUgXDy1XKXGv8

The end result is a part with multiple gaps, especially on the side farthest away from the spool.

I've cleaned the teeth of the cog (removed plastic dust) to improve traction but that didn't solve the problem. I've also tried to clean up the extruder by inserting a wire from the hot end side, no improvement in print quality.

Any ideas on how to fix that slipping problem?

Edit with solution:

To complement Oscar's answer below, here is what I've done that fixed the problem: it turns out the issue was coming from a lack of friction on the filament. To increase the friction, I've slipped a pair of 0.25mm thick pieces of plastic sheet between the bearing axis and the mount. See pic below.

That increased the force on the filament enough to fully solve the slippage problem. The print quality is perfect now (see pic below).

The plastic sheet trick is just a short term fix. I'm going to try swapping the drive gear for a slightly thicker one and contact MakerFarm to see if there is any long term modification they recommend.

These symptoms are generally caused by friction in the extrusion path.

First, you should make sure the spool of filament can unspool freely.

Second, in order to prevent slipping of the filament, you should consider increasing the force of the roller bearing onto the filament and extruder wheel, or increase hotend temperature. A (partial) clog can also be causing this. You could try a "cold pull" or "atomic pull" where you heat up the filament to print level, push a little through by hand and let the nozzle cool to about 60 % of the printing temp and then steadily pull the filament out of the hotend, this should remove all gunk inside, repeat if necessary. A too low of a layer height can also put the filament extrusion under pressure.

As an aside, slipping of filament is often accompanied by an audible clicking noise. There are a few questions on this topic.

It also looks as though your bed is not centered in the middle as you are printing outside the bed limits in the front and have a little room left at the back!


Offset in X or Y axis How can I set an offset in y or x axis so that I can move the position of my printed object. I have tried doing this with so many options in Repetier, and in Slic3r, and still nothing, please, have you got any ideas?

First Edit:
I have added an image of the changes I have done, nothing of this works for me

There are two things which shouldn't be mixed.

Position of the object relative to its own coordinate system.

In general object doesn't have specific position stored inside. Which is obvious as structure of the object should store construction of an object but not its position. So position is relation-to-something so to speak and because object itself doesn't contain any information about object environment then there is no position stored.

But there is one hack. All coordinates stored inside object are in fact a realtion to some starting point. Let's say it's a zero-point or starting point of the coordinate system of the object. This is sometimes anoying because it's usually bottom left corner or center of the object. Unfortunately some applications store this starting point out of the object. This means that object has starting point in some point but this point is outside of the object itself.

This cause the situation when user loads an object in another application then object is translated in "strange" position.

Position of the object in printing application.

When user loads an object into printing application then object is usualy set in the center of build plate. This also sounds obvious but if inner coordinate system of the object is translated then object can be repositioned even out of the build plate.

So what is the solution for such situation.

There are two options.

Manage object coordinate system in the application which create STL file  or convert object into STL format or
Manage (switch off) option called "center on build plate" or "center on the bed" or "center object" or "auto-center parts" in printing application.

Then it will be possible (or easier) to position object according to user needs.

Another issue is STL object which is in fact kinda assembly of separate objects. If you encounter such situation. See here for example

These two guys are stored in one STL file so they have common coordinate system and common starting point. All above applies to such assembly.

Applications allows user to split such assembly into separate objects so each one can be repositioned separately. But be careful - split can disassemble parts of the object itself. In the example the tounge of the trex is 3rd object in the assembly.

In terms of mentioned aps:

Reptier: go to object placement "tab" and set position manually
Slic3r: go to Printer settings and set "print center", also you can switch off File > Preferences > Auto-center parts
MetterControl: go to printer > print area and set print center


BLTouch Fails & Scraping at the Left Side of the Table Using the following:

Printer : Ender 3 PRO - 2019 1.1.4 non-silent board
Firmware : Official Creality Ender 3 PRO - BLTouch version
Bed : Original Creality Glass Bed
Nozzle : Original Stock - there isn't any upgrade
Filament : Porima PLA Red
Hotend : 210 °C
Bed : 60 °C
BLTouch : Official Creality V3.1 Smart
Z Offset : -3.50 mm which keeps nozzle's distance as 0.2 mm from bed while printing first layers
Test Model : Ender 3 Damping Feets 100 % infill - 105 % flow rate - 60 mm/s printing speed

This morning I realized that my nozzle is scraping to bed while it's printing left side to the table, I'm using a BLTouch and this shouldn't be happening right?
Any ideas what could cause this and how I can fix it?

This left bed side issue could be caused by the poor design of the Ender 3 (portal printer single side Z lead screw and counter rolling guide post) in conjunction with the way the bed is probed and the hysteresis of the gantry. The second photo issue could well a result of an imperfection of the bed, a local bump, which cannot be filtered out with insufficient probing points or the firmware bed leveling option.


Printing issue on Ender 3V2 I am trying to print a fairly simple object yet I keep getting the same issue.
As you can see in the picture the print quality is bad with all the blobs on the vertical part of the print.
I have leveled the bed many times and I keep getting this issue. I have also calibrated the E-steps. I have replaced the PTFE tube as well.
I am printing with Sunlu PLA+. I was printing at 220 °C but now that I set it at 200 °C the result is a little bit better but it has not gone away.
Please advise on how to fix this.
Note: I have 2 Ender 3 V2's and the other printer is printing the same files pretty much perfect.

Print the same file, with the same settings, on both machines.

If the problem persists, try swapping the filament between the two printers. If the problem now occurs on the other printer, that suggests that the filament is the issue. Label the bad one "For lumpy prints" and put it away.

If the problem persists on the printer where it first occurred, despite swapping filament reels, the issue probably has something to do with the printer. Remove and examine the nozzle, and consider replacing it even if it looks OK. Nozzles are cheap and easy to replace, so this is an easy early step.

If a new nozzle doesn't fix it, other parts related to the extruder like the hot end thermistor, fans, heater block, etc. could be to blame. If the thermistor is just positioned a little differently than on the "good" printer, for example, it might be reading a little low and causing the nozzle to heat up more to get to the target reading. That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to replace those parts; you just need to recognize the difference and compensate for it when you use that printer. Just as a baker might think "the recipe says 400 °F, but I know my oven runs hot, so I'll use 375 °F instead," you may need to adjust the nozzle temperature to compensate for the hardware differences when you use this printer.


How to create a 3D model as mold for a 4-legged animal with parallel legs I am new to 3D printing, and new to mold design.
I played around with a model from Windows Paint 3D library:

And I realized that it would not be easy to 3D print a mold out of this.
First of all I focused on the legs, and the fact that I cannot get the 4 legs by just splitting the negative shape into two mold parts.
Then I realized that maybe a zigzag cut could help, but it only work for legs when they are not parallel to each other, unlike the back legs.
And in fact, there is the same problem for the ears.
I'd like to point out that I want to mold paper pulp, so I cannot really do injection molding, which means I really need access to the entire figure from both parts of the mold.
It really seems like it is an impossible problem.
Are there tricks?

In traditional mold making, this would require a "sectional" mold -- one that breaks into mutiple pieces to free the legs, rather than just two halves.  Sometimes you can use a non-planar mold break line to avoid this issue; look at the molds made for casting miniatures that aren't neatly arranged to see examples, but as you note, with one rear leg alongside the other, the narrow space between isn't accessible with a rigid mold and a molded figure that can't be flexed.
One way around this would be to print the figure and make a flexible mold from it -- the mold wouldn't be printed, but would be molded from a positive figure.  That would let you use a flexible mold material to run a join between the rear legs and still separate the mold, with a little care.  You may also want to make the mold in layers, as would be done for denture making -- using a soft, highly flexible material such as the alginate used in denture making for direct contact with the original figure, and then reinforcing the very soft contact layer with a sturdier backup layer to provide support.


What are the reasons for my 3D prints having large numbers of strings between parts of a layer? I am printing a print using PLA on a Prusa i3 printer and an MK8 extruder, at 210 degrees celsius, 60 mm/sec, sliced with slic3r. The print consists of a base, with 4 tower-like projections that then join with a near-vertical overhang slope that isn't posing a problem for my printer.

However, even before the overhang begins, I am getting large amounts of strings as the extruder head jumps between the four towers in the print, leading to a "spiderweb" effect between them. How can I deal with these strings, and are they a warning that there might be something amiss with my printer, or possible other failures in other parts of the print?

Stringing is often a result of too-high a temperature, or insufficient retraction. When there is highly liquid filament in the nozzle tip, it can adhere to the remainder of the print while dripping as the nozzle moves, leading to a thin string of the filament forming. As further travel moves are performed in each layer, this turns to a web.

The high temperature causes filament to be very liquid, causing it to move downward in the nozzle chamber easily, as opposed to having to be extruded forcefully due to viscosity. The temperature setpoint of 210 was high enough to cause this to happen.

A second possible cause, insufficient retraction, can also be blamed for this issue. Retraction is a process in which the extruder reverses its movement to pull filament back up the hotend, preventing it from dripping at the tip, and forming a string. Most slicers will allow specifying a numeric value in millimeters of filament to be retracted. Remember that printers with Bowden tubes between nozzle/hotend and extruder motor will require increased retraction and priming (extrusion when starting to print after a retract-and-move). Note that too much retraction can cause other problems, such as insufficient plastic in the hotend chamber at the start of the next printing move, which can cause gaps and other issues.


is PLA gasoline, diesel or chemical resistant? can PLA be used to print out containers or other parts that are in direct contact with gasoline, diesel or other hard chemical substances? Will it start degrading when in contact with said chemicals? Should I use ABS for this?

I have used both ABS and PLA for diesel gas caps and oil plugs.  As well have made a gasoline funnel out of both.   Both have done well for me.
I have attach a link to a plastics resistance chart if it is any help.  Unfortunately it does not show testing for ABS for all.

I prefer the ABS only do to the fact some items I have made sit in the desert sun.

Plastic resistance chart


How to fight lots of stringing with PLA at low temperature (185 °C)? I just got my first 3D printer (Creality Ender 3) on Friday, 2 days ago. It works great, but for some reason I'm getting a lot of stringing on my prints, especially the ones where the extruder head has to move a long distance between columns/posts, etc.

I'm using Hatchbox "True White" PLA, which has a recommended temperature range of 180-210 °C. I've tried printing at 200, 190, and 185 °C and didn't see much improvement. I've also made sure I've enabled the 'retract' setting in the slicer (4.5 mm) and verified the printer is retracting when it should.

I'm not sure what else I can try... any suggestions?

4.5 mm is a low retraction distance. Cura's default is 6.5 mm, and the Ender 3 profile provided with Cura sets it to 6 mm. The first thing you should try is increasing the retraction amount up to at least 6 mm. Also, make sure you actually enabled retraction. I saw one question here where a Cura user had enabled "Retract at layer change", which does not enable retraction (but of course it shows the options like retraction amount since you need to be able to select it for this too).

Your low nozzle temperature of 185 °C is also a problem. You'll have very low flow at that temperature, resulting in under-extrusion and pressure building up in the nozzle instead of extruding the material. That in turn will make it so, even after retracting, there's still material (and pressure) at the nozzle and it will keep oozing, unless you set a really high retraction amount (and even then problems will build up over time during the print, but you might get lucky and not see them). The only way to print PLA at 185 °C is really, really slowly.

In general, some people would also recommend trying a different filament, based on reports that some vendors' PLA oozes and strings badly, but I don't think that's an issue for you. I use Hatchbox filament on my Ender 3 all the time and never have a problem with stringing from it. And even if the filament is prone to stringing, you can almost surely avoid it with proper settings. Even very soft flex filaments can be printed on this printer without stringing as long as your retraction, temperature, and speed are tuned to avoid having pressure at the nozzle during travel moves.


Simplified 3d will not run extruder I downloaded simplified 3d to use with Mach 3 everything seems to work properly except for the extruder which will not communicate with the new software. Not moving filament that is my only problem what is going on?

To use Mach3 to send printing you need to define the extruder as A instead E, since Mach3 only drives X,Y,Z,A and B motors. you can see an explanation here on is possible to send printing with mach3? Question.

I haven't tried to see if is possible to change this letters directly on 3D simplify, because i'm using ramps 1.4 instead the CNC driver control. But there is an ADDON to slice your gcode with Mach3 called gnexlab, try to find it on google search. I've downloded few years ago.

Added Link
gnexlab Addon


Wanhao i3 stops printing after about 40 minutes I have a Monoprice Maker Select V2.1 (rebadged Wanhao Di3) with a microswiss all metal hot-end and machined lever and extruder plate. It had been printing very consistently for months with this set up - through 5 or 6 kg of filament - until a couple of weeks ago when it has started to under-extrude and then stop partway into a print, after about 30-40 minutes. It seems to clog and grind the filament, skipping steps. I first assumed this was heat-creep, and so disassembled the extruder, cleaned the heatsink and applied new thermal paste before reassembling, but to no luck. I also tried new fans on the cold-end but this didn't help either.

Other things I have tried:

various models - point at which the extruding stops seems based on length of time printing, not z position, suggesting to me that it is not an wires/electronics issue or an issue with the file.
various layer heights
various temperatures
dust filter
various filaments (changing reels of similar filament, different colours and brands, although all PLA)
cleaned, and subsequently replaced extruder gear to rule out wear to that
inserted washer under lever spring to add tension
clearing the nozzle (cleaning filament, atomic pulls and drill-bit)

I've now run out of ideas of what could be causing the issue and what to try. What other issues could cause the above symptoms or, if it is heat-creep, how else could I solve the issue?

Time to check things that usually don't need checking.  At this point I would check the power split.

Check the power supply voltage (+12V or maybe +24V, I don't know the printer) at the controller before and after the extrusion stops or sputters.   Assure that the voltage stays the same.   If it drops you have a culprit.  While there, also check the +5V.  If the power is inconsistent,  check the connections for loose screws.  If the power is also bad at the supply,  replace it.

If the extruder starts clicking,  it could be under voltage or under temperature.  You have already checked for heat creep, and not found it.  Either supply voltage can mess with actual temperature.

You have ruled out Z-height, so many possibilities are unlikely.


Cura going to 204C instead of 200C So I started using Cura a few weeks ago, and when I print it goes to 204 Celsius instead of 200. It doesn't really affect my print quality but I just want to know if there's a fix for it. My printer is a Da Vinci Jr 1.0.

Its mainly due to the regulation loop of the PID Regulator implemented in the Firmware of the Da vinci jr. The P-Factor is a little bit too high. This is the reason why the temperature "overshoots". Because the Printerhead and Nozzle has some volume which is heated up. It takes time to cool down after it has detected an overshoot.

here you can find additional informations about it: https://innovativecontrols.com/blog/basics-tuning-pid-loops


Do 3D Printers Prefer Particular Topology? Do 3D printers prefer particular topology?  In case I'm not using the word quite right, I'm specifically wondering if I should make the faces in my models:

triangles
quads
n-gons..

The most common file format in 3D printing is STL. This file format is using triangles only so when you export an object from your CAD application to STL then exporter has to transform all n-gon faces into triangles.

Once the file is created then it is usually imported by slicer application (or module) which performs slicing using polynomial calculation to find intersection with next surfaces. Here is good example of such intersection finding in javascript.

So answering your question:

no - it doesn't matter as you usually use file format in which faces are triangles but
yes - it matters as all your n-gon faces needs to be transformed into triangles


How to recycle filament material from printed parts? Is it possible to re-use ABS or PLA filament material from printed parts?

If so, what is the techniques to reform it?

There are a few options.

Machines are available which grind the used plastic into fine pieces, melt it down, and extrude it as filament to be reused. Filabot is perhaps the most well known.
Depending on where you live the local recycling programs may accept PLA or ABS. They will then shred it and melt it down for reuse.
PLA is bio-degradable so you can put it in the compost.
I put scrap ABS in acetone which results in a slurry which can be used as a glue to attach ABS parts, fix cracks, and hold parts to the bed.


How to avoid stringing? How can I avoid the irregularities and stringing in the print.
Printer Used: Fortus 450mc

Model: PC

Model tip: T10

Support tip: T12SR

Support: SR-100

Slice Height: 0.0050 in

I have printed two objects using Grabcad print (with Insight)
1) Voronoi bear:
The voronoi bear has missing layers/unattached layer at its bottom everything else seems OK. I do notice  a bit of stringing though.

2) Cylinder with hollow channels:
The cylinder has a lot of visible stringing and one of the channels is slightly deformed.

Please refer to the attached images.

Please let me know if any additional details are needed.

I've been able to reduce stringing by reducing the nozzle temp in 2°C increments until it goes away.
You'll also want to increase your retraction settings a bit.

The problem is caused by the plastic being too hot and oozing out of the nozzle - it's a bit too runny.

Search Thingiverse for Heat Towers.  You'll need to edit the G-code so that your printer adjusts the nozzle temp at each layer.  That will give you a really good indication of the best temperature for the given material.

Keep in mind you'll want to print it for each new brand (and sometimes color) of filament.


Gluing paper to PLA objects I have 3D printed in PLA a curved viaduct for a model railway (N gauge) and affixed inkjet paper using UHU glue. The layout lives in my garage and as soon as the viaduct goes into the garage the paper bubbles.
What adhesive can I use to prevent this from happening? I've had to strip all the brick paper.

The problem is probably the UHU glue having not had the time to cure through and interacting with either the PLA, the moisture in the garage, or the brick-paper's covering foil. Many of the metal-tube UHU glues - like "UHU Hart" - are resin-based and contain solvents that can interact with some polymers like the coating of the brick paper. Curing times can be up to 48 hours to cure.
I have had a very good experience with very basic water-resistant Wood Glue to both smooth over 3D-prints as well as attach layers of wood or paper to it. Most wood glues are made with a chemical that is the same or similar enough to those in Gluestick (usually PVA, sometimes PVP). These usually don't react with the fibers and surface of the NOCH-brand brick paper I know.
After having the glue dry thoroughly - for Express type wood glues that is about 2 hours - there is little to no chance that the two interact badly in the garage.


Cura 4.3.0 does not pause on Renkforce RF100 V2.2 Cura (version 4.3.0) has the ability to insert a post processing script to your print. I tried this for printing a key cover around my door key (similar to this question). I designed the STL file with Fusion 360 (version 2.0.6516) and verified that the height of the beginning of the top layers is exactly at 3.1 mm. The top layer itself has a height of 0.5 mm. In Cura I inserted a pause at height 3.1 mm.

I tried different post processing scripts:

Pause at height
Pause at height (BG printers)
Pause at height for Repetier

After inserting the script I did the "slice" and saved the G-code to an SD card. When printing on my RF100 (firmware version 2.2) no script created a pause at all. All scripts printed the full key cover in one step.

The part of the G-Code that does the pause looks like this:

[...]
G1 X57.522 Y62.32 E134.15939
G1 X57.475 Y62.045 E134.1614
G0 F3000 X57.47 Y62.02
G0 X57.469 Y61.845
G1 F2400 E132.1614
G1 F600 Z4
;MESH:NONMESH
G0 F3000 X54.16 Y67.189 Z4
;TIME_ELAPSED:247.492714
;TYPE:CUSTOM
;added code by post processing
;script: PauseAtHeight.py
;current z: 4.15
;current height: 3.1500000000000004
M83 ; switch to relative E values for any needed retraction
G1 F300 Z5.15 ; move up a millimeter to get out of the way
G1 F9000 X190 Y190
G1 F300 Z15 ; too close to bed--move to at least 15mm
M104 S0 ; standby temperature
M0 ; Do the actual pause
M109 S210 ; resume temperature
G1 F300 Z5.15
G1 F9000 X63.338 Y61.621
G1 F300 Z4.15 ; move back down to resume height
G1 F9000
M82 ; switch back to absolute E values
G92 E132.1614
;LAYER:19
;MESH:0d0e86f0-0b59-4e06-9e77-78fe8e77be5b.stl
G0 X54.16 Y67.189 Z4.15
;TYPE:WALL-OUTER
G1 F600 Z3.15
G1 F2400 E134.1614
G1 F2040 X54.171 Y67.193 E134.16172
G1 X54.689 Y67.418 E134.17722
G1 X55.228 Y67.625 E134.19306
G1 X55.776 Y67.811 E134.20894
[...]

Cura out of the box has no machine setting for the RF100 v2, so I used the settings for the RF100 v1 and adjusted the dimensions of the width, depth and height to 120 mm. As G-code flavor I stayed with "Marlin".

What can I do? This question is not specific to a key cover. I could design this so I could insert the key at the end. But I really would like to know how to do a predefined pause during my print.

G-code M0 is not supported!1)
According to the original firmware of the RF100, the firmware is based on Marlin Firmware. From the original sources you can find that in order for M0 (or M1 which is a deprecated alias for M0) to work, you need an ULTRA_LCD supported  LCD panel:

 * "M" Codes
 *
 * M0   - Unconditional stop - Wait for user to press a button on the LCD (Only if ULTRA_LCD is enabled)

However, your printer does not support such an LCD panel, from the configuration.h can be read that the constant is disabled (// means that the line is treated as a comment and as such ignored by the compiler):
//#define ULTRA_LCD  //general LCD support, also 16x2

Therefore, these scripts will not work for your printer!
(Not your printer is running a very old version of Marlin; version 1.0.3)

Solution:
It is possible to manually change the G-code for a (in this case) Marlin based firmware2) (so no adding of a pause by Cura) by inserting a few lines to:

First set relative movement (G91), then retract a certain amount of filament (G1 E-2 F500) or alternatively use G10 using predefined retraction definitions in M207;
Insert a dwell period by inserting the G-code G4 (plus a time to wait), e.g. G4 P2000 to dwell for 2000 milliseconds (alternatively, G4 S2 will also pause for 2 seconds), please adjust the value to an adequate one in which you can insert the object;
First, unretract filament (G1 E2 F500) and then put the printer back in absolute movement (G90 or alternatively use G11 using predefined retraction definitions in M207.

1) By your firmware version/implementation
2) Note that certain G-codes only work for certain firmwares! Fortunately, the original firmware of the RF100 is based on Marlin Firmware (unless it has been changed form the factory default.)


Anet A2 3D printer suddenly will not home X and Y I have been using my Anet A2 for about a year.  A few problems but none that I haven't been able to resolve. Today it suddenly stopped auto homing.

Using the position commands I can advance the X and Y positively but not negatively (after I manually re-position the carriages before turning the printer on).  Also the Y stepper motor makes an unusual noise and it will over advance the Y axis. This behavior was preceded by a feed fault. The print started fine but the stepper motor stopped feeding shortly after the print started.

I am printing from an SD card as I always have. I changed SD cards thinking it might be a connection problem and I checked the G-code and all the commands including the E commands seem to be there. I have checked all the electrical connections - they seem to be fine.

Any suggestions to solve this?

I have experienced this a few times, usually this is related to the end stops.

If your end stops are somehow triggered (e.g. short circuit or cable broken; depending on the setup), the steppers will not home (as they think they are at the limits already) and only advance forward. Please look into the end stops of X and Y. Use a multi-meter to measure them and trigger them manually.

Alternatively hook up your printer to your computer with a USB cable and download a printer utility/application that can interact with the printer (e.g. Pronterface, Repetier-host, OctoPrint, etc.) and go to the terminal interface and send the M119 instruction to see the status of the end stops.


17-4 PH Tensile Test When I do a tensile test on 17-4 PH stainless steel, the stress-strain curve is very strange, two sections of Young’s modulus appeared. What is going on? The sample is made by SLM.

According to our materials experts, you should always be careful interpreting the start of the force-displacement diagram. It is possible that the test needs to "set" itself, important issues are:

the clamping of the test articles in the test bench vices
alignment of the test article in the test bench
size of the test articles (the load suggests small test articles/small diameter)
how is displacement measured (displacement/elongation sensors "slip" easily depending on the expertise of the operator)
artifacts in the test article?

Instead of proceeding the test till rupture (prior to the in-elastic/plastic region), it would have been beneficial if the test had been stopped at about 8 kN and relaxed to 0 kN to commence a new test.

From my own experience with creep test articles we see similar issues and apply a displacement offset so that the "second section" (using your words) is extrapolated to zero load. Usually this is just a few hundredths or tenths of a mm. In this case you could shift the whole diagram 0.3 mm to the right by applying a similar offset of about -0.3 mm.


Ender 3 V2 blank screen and LCD continuous beeping with clicks So I have been having an ongoing problem with my printer that I just can't solve. I don't usually ask the questions on stack exchanges until my problem gets unsolvable. Unfortunately like this one
Printer: Creality Ender 3 V2
Current Board: Creality v4.2.7 (Silent Motor)
Background: This started when I accidentally fried the T20 chip on the v4.2.2 mainboard when I tried to install the BLTouch incorrectly (I looked at the photo upside down) and and also accidentally pulled the wire out and what I guess is why the T20 chip was fried. I thought at first the PSU was the one causing the trouble at first so I replaced it. Then found the burnt chip and decided to upgrade the board to a v4.2.7. I installed everything correctly according to a video that I found somewhere on YouTube.
Current Problem(s): When I turn on the machine the light on the mainboard is on but there is continuous beeping coming from the display with small clicks like a clock every 1 sec. or so. The backlight to the display is on but nothing is shown. I just found with a multimeter that the bed and nozzle terminals give no volts back.
Firmware: I have tried to update the firmware to the official one off of Creality's website and also using the source code for Marlin v2.0.7.2 with PlatformIO. The tutorial I followed was here:

Update [3/24]: Found that the firmware seems to not flash even after giving the .bin file a different name.
Extra Thoughts: I currently have no idea what to do. I think I might replace the LCD and its cable. I have only printed a few things and just want to get back to it but I don't want to buy a whole new printer to do so. I feel like I get closer to getting back to it every time I fix something but I'm starting to lose hope that it's just a never ending problem loop. I appreciate any help given.

Thanks to @Rykara, they led me to the answer. The whole problem was kinda a firmware issue but on the SD card side. The reason why it wasn't flashing was because I didn't flash the SD card to use the FAT32 format. Unfortunately I tried every other format option except that one before hand, mostly because I am mainly on a Mac. Now there is no more problems and I am back on track to printing. :)


Connecting Anet A8 to PC issue I am still at calibration stage and need some info from the PCB. I connected the USB and ran Repetier. The PCB wants to talk at a higher baud rate than my serial port says it can do. I tried setting the serial port to its highest setting 125k and reduced the PCB baud in Repetier setting to 125k. No joy. PC port reverts to 9600 every time I check it. Thoughts?

PC running Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit.

Sorted. Repetier Server was hijacking my com port. Uninstalled it and Repetier host worked fine. As I have no desire to monitor or control prints remotely I have no use for the server software.

Hope that helps others.


Methylated spirits or turpentine to clean resin printer? I'm new to 3D printing and have bought a resin printer.

Cleaning with Isopropol Alcohol seems to be the rage, however I think this is unaware of cost savings.  It appears methylated spirits is ok and is 25% the cost of Isopropol Alcohol.

I'm now down to wondering if I should buy methylated spirits or turpentine (I ruled out kerosene as too flammable)?
I'm leaning towards methylated spirits, however would like input.

Factors I'm curious about:

Cost: same for methylated spirits and turpentine.
Evaporation/solvency: ?
Flammability: ?
Poisonous levels: ?
Resin object cleaning effect: ?
Skin effects: ?
Smell: ?

I checked a few sources.

I would personally stick to isopropanol. Be aware that 3D printing is a very expensive hobby, but health wise this is a better option. Methylated spirits can quickly become dangerous, and often can burn with a close to invisible flame, meaning that you may not even see if it is burning. Also, the fumes can quickly become dangerous, whereas after years of dealing with isopropanol I have noticed no ill effects. Cost should not be your primary concern, health of you and your printer should be.


Internal thread not sticking to inner wall I've been trying to print some M14 female threads. The male threads I've printed were perfect and fit into a female metal nut, but for some reason I cannot get the female threads to "stick". This means that they end up being hard to screw into, or the male end (both metal and my printed versions) goes in wonky.
I'm printing in PLA on an Ender 3 V2 at 200 °C on a 50 °C bed. I've tried various resolutions (down to 0.1 mm layer height) and they all exhibit the issue.  Print speed is 50 mm/s, cooling is just the stock cooling and fan 100 % after the first layer.
The actual file can be found here (note that it's slightly oversized vs a metric M14 female to allow for printer tolerances) and the follow image shows what I'm talking about:

It's as though the nozzle is pulling the filament away from the wall, but I've tried Z Hop Retraction and combing (infill only) and that gives the same result.
Answer: The accepted answer and the comments against the question pointed me in the right direction. A combination of turning off combing and reducing the hot end temp to 190°C gave me perfect threads in 3 consecutive prints.

I do a lot with printed threads, and find this problem creeps up mostly when the filament is wet. Higher temperature (like 220) can partly compensate but it's better to dry your filament and store it properly to keep it dry.
Assuming standard metric thread profile, though, these are also pretty severe overhangs for a concave extrusion (where motion of the head will tend to pull the way you're seeing) unless you use very thin layers. You probably need 0.16 mm or thinner to print reliably (independent of pitch, though finer pitch also needs finer layers for other reasons), and limited acceleration for outer walls (I use 500 mm/s²).  If you slice with "outer walls first" turned off, you may be able to get by with thicker layers, provided you have everything else tuned perfectly to ensure the outer wall sticks to the previously extruded inner one (i.e. flow rate perfect).
A contributor to your problem could also be underextrusion due to oozing during combing. You might try setting max comb distance very low (like 0.6 mm, around what I use) or turning off combing and see if that helps.


How to find pure PLA filament? Prompted by discussion in comments of a recent question whether PLA is suitable for parts that need to be in contact with acetone, I did some casual experiments and found that my clear/"natural" 3D Solutech PLA is mostly but not entirely resistant to acetone, while my blue Hatchbox PLA is quickly softened and deformed by it. This got me wondering: how do you go about finding PLA that's actually PLA (and nothing else)? Just "clear/natural" in product description does not seem to suffice.
I know this is close to a shopping question, so please make suggestions on how it could be improved if it's too close. It'd be great if there were keywords that worked, but an answer is probably going to be more along the lines of how to go about inquiring with manufacturers or where to find places where manufacturers might advertise that their products as pure.

There's only two ways to make sure it is pure PLA without color and additives:

Make it yourself. Order PLA-pellets for manufacturing and put them into a filament extrusion machine
Contact your manufacturer and ask them to do the above for you.

Note though that the pure PLA might have undesirable attributes for pritability that are fought with fillers and additives.


How is my Prusa Mini damaging its X axis belt? I just received my new Prusa Mini a few weeks ago and at first it was great. But very soon a afterwards I started having small issues creep into my prints such as shapes becoming elongated, ridges on what should be a smooth surface, and skipped steps along the X axis.
Eventually the entire head carriage started making a thunking sound as it slid across the X axis. This was from the belt, having lost some of its teeth, slipping across the motor.
Here is a photo of the damage to the belt:

Prusa service was excellent and with a photo and my order number they shipped out a replacement immediately.
Swapping in the new belt fixed everything and I thought my problems were behind me. But within a day or two of printing I started noticing problems with my prints. Upon inspection, I found that my belt was again damaged:

I've tightened belts before on my other printer and have never seen anything like this.
I did notice that the belt provided by Prusa is thinner than the one on my other printer. But the Prusa belt seems to be of a higher quality with some kind of fiber blended into it:

The obvious answer is that I've overtightened the belt. But I've tightened belts before and never had this happen.
Interestingly, both belts failed at the exact same location. The position where the damage would be at the X axis motor puts the extruder roughly centered on the build plate.

I followed up with Prusa on this recently (a few months later) and they confirmed that there were issues with some belts but that this has been fixed in production.
To provide a better guarantee of quality, I opted to replace both the X and Y axis with genuine GATES 2GT PowerGrip GT3 belts. This has fixed the problem for me.


How to express dwell time in G-code I am writing some G-code for my DIY 3D printer. From what I understand, G4 is dwell and its expressed in milliseconds. So my extruder takes about 30 seconds to heat up. Do I just type

G04 30000

Depending on your G-code flavor you may be able to use M109 (heat and wait) instead. If supported M109 will wait until the target temperature is achieved.


Thermal Runaway E1 at Layer 2 Before I start, I'll give you my setup:

Ender 3 Pro
Marlin 2.0.7.2
Material/Nozzle: PETG 0.4 mm @ 215 °C
Bed: Glass @ 80 °C
Default printing speed: 70 mm/s
Standard part cooling fan

Since I've updated the Marlin FW on from factory default to 2.0.7.2, my printer stops printing and gives out an thermal runaway exception message.
The problem is absolutely repeatable and happens always on beginning of layer 2 (more precisely: 40 seconds after beginning layer 2). Changing PID values doesn't change anything to the moment of the error occurring.
I managed to run it longer by repeatedly dropping the temperature set-point and making a photo of the temperature plot. First photo is right after the initial drop from 215 to 205 °C. Second is when the temperature started rising slowly again.

After this temperature drop, the hotend temperature seemed to be much less stable and reached only 205 °C.
At Layer 12, the same thing happened again. But dropping the temperature far too low for PETG and having the "same" issue again, making me stop the print.
This problem is pretty urgent and I haven't found any suitable solution by now. Do you have any ideas of what may cause this trouble? New heaters and thermistors are on their way right now. But I fear that this is not a hardware problem since none of the components are damaged and dysfunctional, nor the moment of failure is random.

It turned out, it was a faulty heater, that wasn't able to reach and maintain temperatures over 195 °C in a stable manner. The order came, had a new 50 W heater, thermistor and a PTFE-Bowden tube. It works just fine again, now!


Big cracks on the Layer view in the Preview mode of Cura I designed a part on Fusion 360 that looks like this:

The part is very small, about 20 mm for 10 mm. I'm then importing it to Cura and I notice they are huge cracks on the part when simulating/previewing the print, I'm using a Monoprice mini printer, 100 % infill, and 0.0437 mm.:

This is my first-time 3D printing something, so maybe (most probably) I did something wrong.

You have coasting turned on. Cura shows the coasting locations (where extrusion is switched off) as gaps. The actual print may be fine.


MINTEMP error after crash I just got my HICTOP Prusa i3 Aluminium frame printer and finished putting it together. After setting it to preheat, I realized the bed was not level - I adjusted it and accidentally caused the head to crash into the bed.

It sounded like something popped, and the printer restarted. It is now showing a MINTEMP error message, and both bed and hotend temperatures read 0°C.

The only visible damage is that a thin layer came off the printbed - After testing with a multimeter, I realized that the metal under this layer is connected to power. As both the bed and hotend were heating, I believe I may have caused a short.

Replacing the thermistor on the hotend with a spare did not solve the issue. I tested the thermistor on the printbed with a multimeter, and it seems to be working correctly (resistance value around ~200 kΩ at room temperature).

Which leads me to believe that I may have damaged the control board. What do I do?

Note: This is not a firmware problem as the printer was getting correct temperature readings before that. Also, I have a second extruder thermistor port that is unused. If I did damage my board, could I edit pins.h and configuration.h to use this port instead, and completely disconnect the heated printbed?

After replacing the control board, it now prints flawlessly. Apparently,I really did damage the control board...


CR-6 SE glass build plate - no lifting possible I've been dealing with 3D printing for 1.5 years, but now own a CR-6 SE myself since the beginning of 2021. Most things are already quite clear but for 2 days I have had a problem with the adhesion of the prints.
Nearly all prints I have done so far used the filament shipped with the printer (PLA 1.75) and they came off the building plate after some cooling time by themselves. I used the default printer settings for PLA: 200 °C nozzle temperature, 60 °C printing bed.
Then 2 days ago the prints began to not stick to the bed anymore and I thought this could be because of dust and from touching the bed. So I cleaned the bed with IPA. The microfiber towel was yellowish afterward - so I thought that this must have been printing residues. Since then every print is kind of "welded" to the bed. There is no chance of loosening it without more IPA or way too much force.
I already tried:

cleaning the bed with clean water - unfortunately, didn't work
setting the Z-offset from 0.1 back to 0.2 mm - also no success

Today I also tried a spool of brand new PETG, with the following recommended settings: 240 °C nozzle temperature, 80 °C print bed - but the problem stayed the same.
Am I doing something wrong? Did I destroy the "Carborundum" coating (silicon carbide) of the glass plate?

I have had similar issues, and I have learned three tricks:

Some slicers (i.e. Cura) let you specify the height of your first layer, and I have found that slowly incrementing up from 0.16 mm by 0.2 mm to find the sweet spot of adhesion without warping. Every brand/type is different. But, usually, for me, fall between 0.18-0.22 mm.

Blue painters tape. If you don't need the glass flat finish of printing directly to glass, I always use blue tape. It makes for great adhesion, and also easy removal of super stuck prints, and you can just peel it off the build plate. With blue tape, I tend to add 2-3 °C to the bed temp.

Glue sticks (instead of hairspray). But, Elmer's glue sticks that go on purple and dry clear. When you use these, if a print is stuck, you just need to spritz some water around the print. The print and the glue will wick the water under the print, and reconstitute the glue. Once the glue is tacky again, the print will pop right off. The only downside is a slight texture to the print and not glossy glass flat.

The reason I like the colored glue, as it reconstitutes it activates the cobalt chloride and turns purple again. This is great for knowing when it is good to start printing again. And also tends to become less of a sticky mess than hairspray.


Linking the 3D printing path coordinates to CAD for modelling I was reading this research paper titled Sub-modeling Finite Element Analysis of 3D Printed Structures. In this, firstly, the author is trying to create a sketch for Engineering analysis using the 3D printing path coordinates and integrating it to a CAD software like Autodesk Inventor.

It says,

  By analyzing the corresponding G-code for the desired structure,
  important information can be extracted, such as the coordinated of the
  3D printing path, key points, paths of printing and non-printing
  paths.

  ...

  The coordinate of the 3D printing path can then be imported into CAD software to obtain the corresponding sketch and consequently a solid
  body for each layer. Most of commercial CAD software packages are
  capable of this task. For this Purpose we have chosen Autodesk
  Inventor.

Paper is attached here: Research Paper in subject

Can anyone help me out with how this can be done?

The wording in the paper is quite verbose and somewhat unclear. All it says is they read the G-code file and somehow turn it into a 3D model.

A g-code file is just a list of linear moves. Here is an example snippet I took from a random file (keep in mind a typical file would consist of thousands of such lines):

G1 X140.621 Y114.840 E0.0065
G1 X140.804 Y114.765 E0.0129
G1 X141.016 Y114.737 E0.0199
G1 X158.984 Y114.737 E0.6070
G1 X159.196 Y114.765 E0.6140

Each move is relative to the previous, so the second line of the code (for example) tells the printer to move to X=140.804 and Y=114.765 from the previous position (X=140.621, Y=114.840) while extruding an amount of material equal to 0.0129-0.0065=0.0064 mm of filament.

It appears that the authors have developed a toolchain to turn a G-code file into a 3D model, translating every extrusion segment into a part of a solid body (from the pictures, it appears that for a given move segment, they create an ellipsoidal extrusion and merge all of these together into a single solid body) - see Figure 9 in the paper.