Notifications
Clear all
New printer. Clogs like a champ.
I gotta say, I'm a bit disappointed with this printer. I assembled it two weeks ago, ran through the self-check and calibration wizard. All was good. Once I got the first layer calibration square away, I tried printing Benchy with the Galaxy Silver Prusament. The print almost completed, but the roof turned to spaghetti. So, I unloaded the filament, cleaned the nozzle, and then I noticed that the filament started to curl back on the nozzle, thereby turning into a gob. Since then I have had nothing but issues. I've done the following:
- clean the nozzle and did multiple cold pulls. I noticed that each time I did a cold pull, a blob of silver PLA would come out. So...
- I tried some Inland Premium PLA that prints without issue on my Ender 3 Pro. As soon as it started extruding, it would also curl back.
- I cleaned and realigned the gears inside the extruder. I followed a video online about how to do this. I made sure that the rod was as centered as possible.
- I bit the bullet and bought another E3D nozzle. I replaced it tonight and now I can't even get the filament to extrude. I followed the video on this site while replacing the nozzle.
I just want to get a successful print out of this thing.
Posted : 19/02/2020 3:11 am
RE: New printer. Clogs like a champ.
When you say the filament "curled back on the nozzle", do you mean it's not adhering to the print surface or underlying layers? If you wound up with a spaghetti Benchy, that usually indicates your bed adhesion is failing. Live-Z calibration can also be a factor. Here are some starter notes to at least eliminate the basics...
The printer doesn't really "print a blob" or "print spaghetti". The mechanism is rigid and doesn't start wildly swinging around for unknown reasons. The printer moves as it's being told to according to the gcode. What is happening is that your part is either coming partially loose, causing it to wobble around as the printer continues to extrude (creating the blob), or completely loose, leaving the printer extruding in free air (creating the spaghetti). Your underlying issue is bed adhesion. This is a common problem that can be caused or aggravated by two factors that need to work together well for successful prints.
Filament should lay down cleanly on the PEI print surface and hold throughout the print. There are 2 main causes of bed adhesion issues. Even if you're dubious that these are the cause of your problems, they're 2 fundamental troubleshooting steps that you need to complete to rule out the basics:
-
A dirty PEI print surface. Even if you don't think this is the cause, it's always a good idea to make sure your PEI surface is clean before trying any other fixes. If it's a smooth PEI sheet, take it to the kitchen sink and give it a good dunk with Dawn (original formula, no vinegar or hand softener variants) dishwashing soap or your local equivalent (e.g. Fairy in UK). Use a clean paper towel to clean it off, and another to dry it. Avoid using any sponge or cloth that has been in contact with grease. Above all else, avoid touching the PEI print surface. Once it's good and clean, you should be able to use 91%+ isopropyl alcohol between prints, 100% acetone when that fails , and another dunk when acetone fails. Worst-case, use a 3M 7445 ScotchBrite pad or equivalent on smooth PEI to give it a very light buff, but only infrequently. If you've got a textured powder-coated PEI print surface, the official instructions are to use 91%+ isopropyl alcohol on it only. Rumors persist that some tribes deep in the jungle have had good luck getting started with these sheets by giving them a wipe with 100% acetone and a dunk with Dawn. Either way, there's no real warranty on these sheets. YMMV.
-
If you have not already done so, try using Jeff Jordan's "Life Adjust" procedure for calibrating your Live-Z setting. It is much easier to use and understand than the on-board routine. It's much easier to make mid-print adjustments accurately with. In general, start high (less negative) and work lower (more negative) in large increments (e.g. 0.1mm) until the filament starts to stick on its own. When you've got your Live-Z setting adjusted properly, you should be able to gently rub the extruded lines on the PEI surface without dislodging them. Then start lowering (more negative) the level until there are no gaps between layers.
Remember that the effectiveness of a solvent such as isopropyl alcohol is going to depend on concentration and volume relative to the amount of grease you're trying to remove. 71% pads work... on very tiny amounts of grease. A squirt of 91% works better, but if there's a lot of grease, you need a lot more alcohol. This is why the wash under the sink with Dawn is so effective: There's a much larger volume of Dawn-and-water rinsisng stuff away instead of just moving the broken-down grease molecules around.
And above all else, avoid touching the PEI print surface.
Glue stick is NOT necessary for PLA on the PEI print surface. You paid the big bucks for a Prusa with a removable spring still sheet with PEI, so clean it up and take advantage of it. Save the glue stick for printing sticky stuff like PETG that might adhere too well. Even then, I only find I need glue stick when printing high-temp PETG at 260C+ temps.
Try those 2 steps. If you're uncertain of the Live-Z results, post pics here of the 75x75 print bottom and you'll get quick help. If you want more detail, I've consolidated my notes on Prusa PEI adhesion, bed cleaning, and Live-Z calibration.
A bit of trivia - The reason higher concentrations of alcohol seem to be harder to find is that isopropyl alcohol is most effective against bacteria at roughly a 71% concentration. A bit of distilled water helps break down the bacterial cell walls. If you're looking in pharmacies, that's why 91% and higher seem to be hard to find.
Posted : 19/02/2020 5:16 am
With_Maltodextrin and richard.l liked