First Nozzle Change... advice?
Hi Guys
I've only had the printer about a fortnight - and I have been getting some good looking results on bigger prints with the supplied 0.4 nozzle
But, the VAST majority of my prints are small (Generally 20mins or less). and I want to get them a bit smoother and with some finer detail - so I want to swap to a 0.25 nozzle (following the E3G guide).
Obviously everything will need to be re-sliced, calibrations re-run etc and prints will take longer but is there anything else I should be wary of? Virtually all prints will be PETG, with a few PLA.
To give an idea of size my typical prints range from approx 8mm X x 8mm Y x 15mm Z to 25mm X x 25mm Y x 6mm Z - anything much larger than that will be a one off. If I start doing more larger ones I guess I will just have to get a 2nd printer? 😀
Thanks
RE: First Nozzle Change... advice?
If your prints have smaller details, you definitely need a smaller nozzle. The slicer will simply skip parts of a print that are too small. You can work around this to a degree with detect thin walls, but the results are not guaranteed and the print may be weak. You can also get sharper corners with a smaller nozzle. There is, however, no benefit in using a nozzle smaller than necessary. If a part prints well with a 0.25mm nozzle, it won't get "better" printed with a 0.15mm nozzle. You can use settings beyond those provided in the presets. More than once, I have printed using gcode generated for a 0.4mm nozzle with a 0.25mm nozzle mounted and have been surprised at the quality of the results. Get familiar with the limitations and capabilities of your nozzles and printer.
Your prints are tiny -- are you doing model scenery? -- and should still be relatively quick to print. Your biggest issue is probably going to be ensuring that you have good bed adhesion so you don't have to use rafts or brims to keep parts from breaking loose. I've done full-bed prints of tiny parts using small nozzles, but I had to make sure the PEI was fully cleaned and Live-Z adjusted before starting.
The E3D guide on changing nozzles is good. Ignore any advice about rotating the heater block (Prusa's procedure). Be sure you have a good seal between nozzle and heartbreak with the hex of the nozzle protruding < 1mm from the heaterblock after fully tightening. Once you get used to the procedure, a nozzle swap is a 5-10 minute chore. I am very glad that I learned how to do this early on. Being able to select the right nozzle for each job is a real benefit.
PETG can be a bit tricky with a smaller nozzle. You definitely want to ensure the filament is dry and that you have properly calibrated the extrusion multiplier for your printer and filament.
I've got a bunch of notes on selecting different nozzles and settings hereif you're interested. To much more advice, I'd need to see what sort of prints we're talking about. Save your current 3MF project file, zip it up, and attach it to a reply here so we can see your part & settings and give better recommendations.
RE: First Nozzle Change... advice?
@bobstro
Fortunately not model scenery - but obsolete vehicle parts, trim covers for bolts, plastic widgets for connecting rods to lock barrels etc. A friend is asking me about doing model railway bits and pieces (4mm to the ft) but that would be something different entirely
Some have a visual impact - fortunately everything (s0 far) that needs to look nice (bolt covers etc) I have been able to tweak to be flat on the textured build plate and they are coming off quite nicely on that surface, but still a bit "liney" - I might be wrong but hopefully the smaller nozzle will make that a bit less obvious.
Apart from a dirty build plate (and forgetting to change live Z when moving between sheets) I have not been having adhesion issues - I have been listening to the advice in other threads about soap and water etc.
The smallest prints (fortunately functional rather than cosmetic) have worked nicely with a brim, and the larger ones are mostly a cosmetic surface with a few raised "tangs" to locate - so basically are all brim anyway 🙂
I will read your info through and see what comes up - thanks 🙂
RE: First Nozzle Change... advice?
Follow the E3D-V6 nozzle change guide.