First Benchy! Looking for improvement suggestions...
I'm brand new to 3D printing and could use some advice about how to tweak things.
I've just built my Prusa i3 mk3 and printed my first Benchy using the PLA that came with the printer:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FSRwjwmCuVP2bFfPA
For a first print I guess it's not too bad (I've seen far worse pictures) but it has some way to go to match some of the better images I've seen.
My problem is that, with so many things that can be tweaked, I currently have no idea which settings to play with to try and improve the quality of the print!
Any and all help is appreciated.
Re: First Benchy! Looking for improvement suggestions...
Few weeks ago I printed my first Benchy with a Prusa Mk3 and it sure didn't look that bad. 😯
Did you use the gcode on the SD card that came with the printer or did you slice this yourself? Properly calibrated? Belts tight enough but not too tight? All grub screws tightened on the motor pulleys? Check the extruder too. Make sure the bondtech gears are in line and the grub screw(s) are tightened as well.
Re: First Benchy! Looking for improvement suggestions...
I second the "Is that the Prusa gcode, or did you slice it?" query.
Second observation: it looks like the material is over extruding a bit. Open the Bondtech Gear door and take a photo of the filament passing through. And post it here. This site lets you upload photos by dragging them into the text area.
If the gears aren't aligned well with the filament, they will force too much material during printing. It's a simple matter of moving the gear on the motor.
Also - it has been reported a few people install the gears backwards, thinking the large spines fit the filament. They don't. The small concave area with engraved teeth drive the filament.
Third question: Did you tweak or change anything on the printer while you were building it? Add something, use a modified part, etc?
And check here for more generic info. 4. Incorrect alignment of Bondtech gears
Re: First Benchy! Looking for improvement suggestions...
There are no tweaked parts or modifications. This is a brand new stock build.
Requested picture:
The y-axis belt, after checking again, was a little tight so I've loosened a notch after I had a small y-axis slip today.
This wasn't a print straight from the SD card though - I used Slicer PE to load the stl, slice and upload via Octoprint. I'm going to print the SD version now to compare.
Re: First Benchy! Looking for improvement suggestions...
Your extruder gear is off center and it needs to be aligned as shown in my picture. A straight drop through the system. When the filament is being pushed off to the side of the teeth, more plastic is being extruded. Here's what I'd try for: loosen the two set screws, slide the gear to the left about 1/2 a filament diameter; tighten the screw on the flat, then the screw of the round.