Getting better results?

Hi guys and girls.

Was wondering if you guys could help me figure something else.
ATM i print at pretty much default settings in slic3r but i was wondering what i can change to improve my prints.
obviously i can lower the layer height, which i will be doing. but i was wondering what else i can do. what is a good list of settings for max accuracy out of my printer using PLA?

Not sure you if you mean default slic3r setting or the ones on the ormerod github repo. because they are a great place to start if i remember corectly simple.ini was set up for .3mm and slic3r.ini loaded files out of the three directorys and was pretty good defaults for .5mm

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/15/2014 10:31PM by zeb00.

Also check when you load slicer.ini that it sets your layer thickness to .25 and nozzle size to .5mm if it does not it may not be including the linked files and ypu will need to load each one out of there folders

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/15/2014 11:03PM by zeb00.

Starting from the RepRapPro settings, I found the following helpful:

1. Increase retraction to 4mm. This reduces blobbing and ooze.

2. Uncheck "External perimeters first". I find that this improves the quality of perimeters. It may also help with overhangs. The downside is that small holes aligned with the Z axis may come out even more under-size than they do anyway.

3. Reduce the speed for "small perimeters" to the minimum supported by the current firmware (10mm/sec). This helps with printing small holes, and in particular with adhesion to the bed when their perimeters are printed.

Another setting that may help is "Filament Settings->Cooling->Slow down if layer print time is below".

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

thanks a lot guys.

also wanted to make a point. i am happy with the printer everything works like a charm. i just want to push it where i can to be better

will check the github stuff and those settings now i feel like this is just a discussion that should be had.

ok so call me really stupid but where are the retraction settings in the current slicer build?

also what is a good speed for laying down filament is slower always better or is there like a point where slower just warps things?

its in printer settings.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2014 10:17AM by zeb00.

yeah. made some changes, anyone have any good suggestions for print speeds? or the default ones pretty good?

OK so i changed those things. All went well at first and i got spectacular results trying to print at .1 ;ayer height. but after a while the head began to interact with the layers with the results you would expect :/
anyone know how to get leyer heights of less than .24 to work?

Do the thin-wall test to calibrate your extrusion factor. Mine was considerably over-extruding, and I now have my factor set at 0.833 It seems to me that the effects of over-extruding get worse as layer thickness is reduced and that may well be what you are experiencing.

In my opinion reducing layer height to below 0.2mm increases the build time considerably without making a significant improvement to the appearance, so is not worth it.

Dave
(#106)

There are a lot of little tweaks that can be made - Small changes like tightening the x-arm bearing against the aluminium using strips of Kapton tape, ensuring that there is as little wiggle on the z-axis threaded rod as possible and tightening the y-axis belt using Matt & dc42's mods all make improvements to the quality. I spent far too much time watching the printer print and examining the output afterwards for flaws, but now the printer does a fantastic job!

I'm not sure of the steps/mm of the z-axis stepper, but some layer thicknesses can cause issues where the stepper would need to move 12.5 steps per layer - On the Prusa this gives you a little banding where it either steps 13 or 12 to compensate, not sure on the Ormerod?

I agree with Dave however - I haven't seen enough of an improvement by using a layer thickness of less than .2 to make it worth the extra time. If you're printing with ABS and want a smooth result, the acetone steam treatment works brilliantly!

Quote
VortyZA
I agree with Dave however - I haven't seen enough of an improvement by using a layer thickness of less than .2 to make it worth the extra time. If you're printing with ABS and want a smooth result, the acetone steam treatment works brilliantly!

Just a rub down with a kitchen towel soaked in acetone does a reasonable job - and what's more it makes the part stronger by fusing the layers together. I've not tried the vapour treatment - purely because I haven't acquired a suitable container. I'm also a bit wary of having acetone boiling away in an open container - the vapour is extremely flammable!

Dave
(#106)

First Post (I think)!

Thanks for the information to all.

I'll work with what was stated here, but I also wanted to ask if there is a thread that has a master list of optional but effective improvements to these machines.

I'm taking my extruder feed shaft and going to cut several copies of it with different depths of knurling and see if I can improve its ability to grab the filament. It is a bolt with the threads cut in a cross pattern right now so there are times when it doesn't make good contact. I also have found that on my build (bought assembled) the extruder wire was soldered to the wire that goes off to the board, very close to the business end of the hot tip and is getting enough heat to melt that connection. To address this, I'm crimp-spliceing it with a high nickel content connecter. It'll make that a mechanical connection instead of the solder that is susceptible to the heat.

I'm also considering changing from the sections of cog belt to ball chain and building supports for the long spans on both the X and Y axis. I hope to take some of the load off my steppers while keeping their ability to change direction crisp. Does anyone know where I'd find a thread about this?


Thanks again,

Swifty

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2015 09:08PM by Swifty.

Quote
dmould

Quote
VortyZA
I agree with Dave however - I haven't seen enough of an improvement by using a layer thickness of less than .2 to make it worth the extra time. If you're printing with ABS and want a smooth result, the acetone steam treatment works brilliantly!

Just a rub down with a kitchen towel soaked in acetone does a reasonable job - and what's more it makes the part stronger by fusing the layers together. I've not tried the vapour treatment - purely because I haven't acquired a suitable container. I'm also a bit wary of having acetone boiling away in an open container - the vapour is extremely flammable!

Dave
(#106)

you could try the cold aceton vapor threatment.
take a airtight container and put som papper with acetone on it in the container.
put the abs print in ther to and let it set for x amounts of houers depending on the print size.

i havent tried this but its a diy vid on youtube.