The art of actual 3D printing and how to get good results

This forum section should hopefully be a resource of tips and tricks, settings and good methods for getting better print results or improving on what you have.

Hopefully we can all think of something helpful to say here, especially for anyone new to the actual printing process, it can be most challenging to get good consistent results and it's all too easy to think you have good results until you see someone with better...

Maybe one of the first questions is - Do we want different threads for temperature, speed, quality, resolution, layers, materials, hot-ends etc. or is this getting a little too excited. should we just see how this evolves?

Rich.

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[richrap.blogspot.com]

that is exactly what im trying to figure out, i have a prusa mendel with gen6 electronics, everything is setup right. Right now im trying to figure out what the optimum settings are for printing and i dont know where to look, the only setting i know is the temp for the heat is 185, the speed and resolution i have no clue on what settings are best.

any thoughts?

Hello, Some questions first -

Is the extruder working and are eSteps calibrated correctly?
What Firmware are you running? Sprinter, 5D, Marlin Etc.
Is your Thermistor table correctly entered and have you checked operation of hot-end?
What slicer are you using (Skeinforge? / SFACT?)
Are you using pronterface (Printrun)
Can you extrude? filament or can you already print print something?

If all that's setup and working, then how far have you got into the printing process? (Pictures are great).

30mm/sec is a good starting speed, with perimeter speed at 20mm/sec
Most extruders and Prusa machines can easily run at 60mm/sec - to - 120mm/sec
Going over 160mm/sec needs some extra care and consideration of Firmware and temperatures / skeinforge settings etc.

I usually print at 60 or 80mm/sec and a temperature of 193 degrees C for PLA
Over 80mm/sec my temperatures go up to 225 degrees C
More speed will usually need higher temperature and this can be lead to more ooze so watch out.

PLA likes to be cooled with a fan, I use a 60mm fan blowing across my heated bed, this helps cool plastic layers at higher print speeds so you don't end up with a blob or a mess of plastic.

If you have other issues like wiggle on your Z axis giving poor quality object perimeters/sides then that usually needs some mechanical attention on your Z rods and/or choice of Z bearings/bushings etc.

That'll do to start with.

Rich

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[richrap.blogspot.com]

Maybe this forum section will take a little more time to get going then...

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[richrap.blogspot.com]

I have ordered a prusa kit from thereprapstore.uk, it hasn't arrived yet so I am still a bit ignorant on how the whole process works. I am wondering what kind of things people use on their tray to keep the plastic from sticking. Obviously the tray is heated but is that to keep it from sticking or is it to keep the plastic somewhat warm so that the new printed layers bond better? I see some photos with masking tape on the tray; is that for nonstick? I have some silicone baking mats that would probably work well but would the rig have to be adjusted to make up for the mm or two thickness difference?

Thanks for the tips I am just at the stage of my first prints rather than melted blobs.
Regards
Q

Quote
richrap
Maybe one of the first questions is - Do we want different threads for temperature, speed, quality, resolution, layers, materials, hot-ends etc. or is this getting a little too excited. should we just see how this evolves?

People can just post individual tips to this forum. I think this is a good way to start. Can you reorganize them into separate forums under this one at a later time?

@JBernal - It's the other way around.The bed is heated to make the plastic stick better while printing. The printed part also doesn't warp as much if it's stuck to the bed and kept warm. Usually, parts are easier to remove after cooling down. The blue masking tape is a good surface for printing PLA if you don't have a heated bed. When hot, PLA sticks relatively well. And upon cooling, it releases with some persuasion. And yes, you have to adjust for the tape or your nozzle will crash. Further discussion should probably go into another forum like General or Reprappers.

Is the extruder working and are eSteps calibrated correctly? ☺ yes i think so.
What Firmware are you running? Sprinter, 5D, Marlin Etc. ♥ sprinter!

Is your Thermistor table correctly entered and have you checked operation of hot-end? thermistor table?100k glass bead?
did not even know i had one..

checked hot end it gets hot pronterface says it is and infrared gun says within 5 c
but not stable it swings 20 degrees up and down heated bead is right on stays within 2 or 3 degrees .
makergear hot end.

What slicer are you using (Skeinforge? / SFACT?)♦ Slic3r
it forced me to tighten belts a bunch and run around and check nuts bolts and screws

Are you using? pronterface (Printrun) Yeppers.

Can you extrude? filament or can you already print print something? yes i can print ( test cube)PLA
as i have not kapton tape yet no ABS testing yet but aiming to print with ABS i hope.

If all that's setup and working, then how far have you got into the printing process? (Pictures are great).




Some of the problems might be with Slic3r and STL file i might or will have to fix them.

30mm/sec is a good starting speed, with perimeter speed at 20mm/sec ??where do i check/change this or that?
Most extruders and Prusa machines can easily run at 60mm/sec - to - 120mm/sec.. nice to know i guess
Going over 160mm/sec needs some extra care and consideration of Firmware and temperatures / skeinforge settings etc. I'm not ready for a bunch of speed yet.

I usually print at 60 or 80mm/sec and a temperature of 193 degrees C for PLA .A nice base line i guess how would i know but i can try.
Over 80mm/sec my temperatures go up to 225 degrees C ?? All by it's self or you turn it up manually?
More speed will usually need higher temperature and this can be lead to more ooze so watch out. ok.

PLA likes to be cooled with a fan, I use a 60mm fan blowing across my heated bed, this helps cool plastic layers at higher print speeds so you don't end up with a blob or a mess of plastic. i have a 40mm on "X" carriage ?enough?

If you have other issues like wiggle on your Z axis giving poor quality object perimeters/sides then that usually needs some mechanical attention on your Z rods and/or choice of Z bearings/bushings etc. i want to print some parts that might help with that but close enough for now.
(LM8UU's are what i have and are using) some one else printed my parts.

thank's

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2011 09:02PM by spad007.

richrap Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello, Some questions first -
>
> Is the extruder working and are eSteps calibrated
> correctly?
> What Firmware are you running? Sprinter, 5D,
> Marlin Etc.
> Is your Thermistor table correctly entered and
> have you checked operation of hot-end?
> What slicer are you using (Skeinforge? / SFACT?)
> Are you using pronterface (Printrun)
> Can you extrude? filament or can you already print
> print something?
>
> If all that's setup and working, then how far have
> you got into the printing process? (Pictures are
> great).
>
> 30mm/sec is a good starting speed, with perimeter
> speed at 20mm/sec
> Most extruders and Prusa machines can easily run
> at 60mm/sec - to - 120mm/sec
> Going over 160mm/sec needs some extra care and
> consideration of Firmware and temperatures /
> skeinforge settings etc.
>
> I usually print at 60 or 80mm/sec and a
> temperature of 193 degrees C for PLA
> Over 80mm/sec my temperatures go up to 225 degrees
> C
> More speed will usually need higher temperature
> and this can be lead to more ooze so watch out.
>
> PLA likes to be cooled with a fan, I use a 60mm
> fan blowing across my heated bed, this helps cool
> plastic layers at higher print speeds so you don't
> end up with a blob or a mess of plastic.
>
> If you have other issues like wiggle on your Z
> axis giving poor quality object perimeters/sides
> then that usually needs some mechanical attention
> on your Z rods and/or choice of Z
> bearings/bushings etc.
>
> That'll do to start with.
>
> Rich

First off Rich im using repsnapper and im not slicing because the test print is a coathook its one piece, second i have a gen6 electronics with the firmware from mendel-parts.com not sure if the firmware is related to the ones u mentioned. Next, how can i set the mm/sec through the repsnapper software, is it even possible to do? i dont have a heated bed and i dont know where the fan is supposed to be hooked up so the fan is in a box. if i do a test blank print with no PLA everything moves freely. after doing a blank test i have tried to do a test WITH PLA and it doesnt seem to feed fast enough as the head moves so i am scratching my head at this point. How would i setup the mendel prusa to print at 70mm/sec that seems to be a nice median number.
the current settings i have with rep snapper follows:
target temp of 200c actual temp of 197
speed 3000
length 150
downstream speed multiplier 1.0
downstream extrusion multiplier1.0
i think i covered all your questions but feels like i missed some