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How to make PVA stick?  

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ir_fuel
(@ir_fuel)
Estimable Member
How to make PVA stick?

I bought some PVA filament from the prusa webshop and there seem to be some issues making it stick, not only on the build plate but even on higher layers.

I use Slic3r Prusa edition and use all the default settings. What happens is dat as long as I lay down long lines of PVA it all works fine, but when it has to do very small details (putting down little blobs of PVA) it doesn't stick very well. Either it gets pulled loose by the moving nozzle, or you get a sort of "drop" where the nozzle pulled part of the PVA up when moving. This makes it unusable for "soluble supports interface", and I have to print full soluble support so I have bigger strands of PVA laid down.

Anyone else here has experience printing with MMU and PVA?

Posted : 15/12/2017 10:21 am
KennyB
(@kennyb)
Trusted Member
Re: How to make PVA stick?

PVA for me has been sort of a pain in the butt to tune. The default retraction settings in Slic3r didn't work for me, had to tune them all. I don't know about the PVA that prusa sells, but the Esun PVA stuff I have is tricky. I can get it to print nearly perfect by itself with very little stringing and good bed / layer adhesion but I can't get it to stick to PLA well and still print nice.

I suspect you'll need to play with the retraction settings and see what you can get. For me z lift and retraction length were strong knobs to cleaning up the prints. I'd try starting with retraction length and then maybe reduce the z lift.

Posted : 20/12/2017 7:12 am
ir_fuel
(@ir_fuel)
Estimable Member
Topic starter answered:
Re: How to make PVA stick?

You would think that getting a prusa printer + prusa slicer + PVA sold by prusa should work without having to mess around with settings. After all, what's the use if not?

Posted : 21/12/2017 10:55 am
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