Print quality ( again ) ?

Hi all,

I attended a 3D printing expo last week. I'm really amazed with print results of their display printed objects. compare to mine, I have blotches on surface, especially starting point on every layers, slight uneven on sharp corner etc. I was happy with the results from my Ormerod before I attended the expo. ( and I can see from photos in this forum ,most of objects printed by you guys looks more or less the same as mine too )
I spent a week to carefully slice, and also playing with temperature settings, I can get slightly better result but still not as good as shown in the expo. I did ask the counter guys and they printed all objects using normal printers, makerbots, ultimaker etc. even China made unknown printers. nothing special . when I ask how to obtain that great results, most of them answered me " well, buy my printer , and you'll get good results!"


I really want to know if any of you here having the same experience as me ?
I already ordered ( should be arrive in few days time ) a roll of filament which cost double than the one I used now. hopefully I can get decent result.



Ew

Hi tru168,
I had the opposite experience to your...
Some friends with ..... bla bla bla... printers..... and poor results!
Obviously the expo is to show..... with the best tested...
Filaments are so important... seriously!
I'm really happy with my Ormerod printer, and whatever happens I know what to do.
bla bla bla printers need to call for service forever.

I think it's a good idea to read Adrian
[reprap.org]

Dario

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2014 04:31PM by Ormerod187.

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Ormerod 187
Firmware Electronics: Duet 0.6
Firmware Version:1.18.1 (2017-04-07)
Web Interface Version:1.15a
Slic3r 1.2.9a and Simplify3D 4.0.0
[www.dropbox.com]

Hi,


Thanks for info, I'll try again with my new filament, should received in couple of days. as for my Ormerod , its in very good condition now, I always check with any tiny bit of free play, keep tighten screws, ( I'm using Loctite to keep my screws and nuts always intact now) etc.

Ew

Hi Ew/Dario, ok first thing is tick the box that says 'wipe after retract' when using DC42s Firmware.
For the high quality results were they going very fast. I've found when increasing the speed to keep a reasonable quality I had to up the temp of the extruder. Also layer thickness, Thinner layers makes for better quality, but halve the layer thickness means twice as long. It's a happy medium I think where you play off speed with finish.
In printing my Big Blue Duct, I noticed that the finish was horrible to start off with, so I upped the temp by 10' and it instantly got better. I think we have the quality built in to the print, it's just a case of getting the balance right.
I also think using the Big Blue helps, but I would say that wouldn't I....lol
Kim..

P.S. I'm planning a HotEnd without the PTFE tube, but it's taking some thinking about. Once the floopy tube has gone I think the quality will be much much better.....

Kim.. (Thicking is Beleaving..... The Result is up for Debate)....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2014 10:33PM by KimBrown.

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Please send me a PM if you have suggestions, or problems with Big Blue 360.
I won't see comments in threads, as I move around to much.
Working Link to Big Blue 360 Complete

Hi Kim ,


Yas, I should use wipe after retract function. will try it now.

I'm saw the big blue and I think it should be a good upgrade. I'm still learning to draw 3D objects now, and not ready yet for any modification but I'm thinking of adding a bearing hook to hold the whole assembly ( big blue )on the back of acrylic rib for more stable movement and also more strength for heavier load. I said "heavier load" because I want to put the extruder just right behind the big blue , it move together with the print head, and the PTFE feeder line between extruder and hot end will be shorter, maybe just an inch or so, and the filament and PTFE hysteresis problem will be greatly reduced. just my 2 cents.


Ew

What ever you do, DON'T make the X-carriage/Extruder assembly ridgid and in flexable.
A prime example of this was my first print of Big Blue 360.
On the right hand side of BB there is a chamfered recess to allow connections to DC probe to fit.
During the print, the top of this started to curl up where a bulk of plastic is positioned to cater for the overhang above.
(Even with BB a printer will struggle to print in mid air without support so I had to cater for that).
(BTW it can be done, with a very slow speed to allow the plastic to solidify as soon as it's left the nozzle, but I don't think there's a proper
setting for it in Slic3r, other than the Bridging speed which is a different thing altogether).
As the print progressed through this area the corner started to lift, and towards the end of the area, it was ridiculasly higher
by about 4 mm... Having a flexable HotEnd allowed the printer to carry on printing, and it gradually ironed it out much to my relief.
So to stop the localised warping of the print I added a column to hold it down in place that is easily removed afterwards.
Had my HotEnd been ridgid, it would have distroyed the print, and might have damaged the printer in the process.
So keep it flexable.

Big Blue has the added advantage of being tall, and the PTFE tubing leans on it and helps hold it down in place.
Your less likely to hear the rear bearing slapping on the back of the X-axis arm with BB fitted.
It was designed with that in mind, as with allot of Ducts the tube can lift the assembly during a heavy feed of filament
when the X-carriage is at a high X point on the arm. BB supports the tube, so the lifting moment is removed.
There's method in the madness.....lol
BTW when mounting BB on to the X-carriage push it hard up against the Nozzle Mount while doing up the screws.
It'll keep the nozzle of the extruder horizontal and you'll have less trouble getting your prints to start.
After printing... Look at the Squiggles of filament. The infill lines should be a similar width in both printing directions.
If in one direction the lines are thinner, then the nozzle isn't level and the hot filament was rolling off the nozzle to the side
making a lumpy print further up, as well as reducing the sticking power of the first layer. Also look at the underside extream corners of your print.
you'll be able to tell if your bed is level. There's lots to see if you look. I print on bare glass so always add a Brim. It helps to hold the print in place which is the main purpose of it, but also acts as a blanket, holding the heat from the bed in the print.
With BB you'll find you can lower the Bed and HotEnd temp as there's no Backwash cooling the print, so no warping. And the cooling air that's
near the nozzle isn't to cold either as it's heated my the HeatSink.

Allot of thought and work went in to designing Big Blue... Enjoy it...

Kim..

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Please send me a PM if you have suggestions, or problems with Big Blue 360.
I won't see comments in threads, as I move around to much.
Working Link to Big Blue 360 Complete