FYI:
I usually print PLA at 190 + 70 in the Bed, 225/235 ABS print bet 90 on layer 1 to 3 and 70 to the rest
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Check your gcode, it should be a loooong piece of code. If its short, the software didnt generate any code (all it does is draw a line like you described). Are you using Skeinforge? I had this problem with skeinforge once, i re-installed and that fixed it.
All makerbot software had a similar start code with the printed line, and yes the Makerbot 3.7 is a bit different, and it’s weird how it drops and raises the platform after the line. However I did find that dropping and raising it like that gets cleans the nozzle of leaking plastic. The reason you are having trouble is because your printbed is too high or too low. Then it doesn’t matter what the printer does before it starts, it will just ball up into a mess. Put your printer in home axis mode and move the print head around with a piece of paper under it. Raise the print bed until it grips the paper but you can still slide it. You want it close enough so that there is some resistance in the paper moving but you can still slide it. Print on a piece of glass with hairspray on it. Give it a light even coat before you begin the print/preheat. Watch the nozzle when it prints, it should be as close as possible to the print bed without it blocking the nozzle. I find that when I’m having trouble it’s easier for me to fine tune the bed height while it’s actually printing during the first layer. This way I can watch if any of the printed lines are not sticking or curling up due to the nozzle not being close enough. Your first layer should smush on the glass and be pretty flat.
Use unscented extra hold hairspray. I use aquanet. Your print bed is too hot at 70c, and that heatt will creep up into the printed part and make it too hot. Hairspray will eliminate your need to even have it on in the first place. Remember heat is PLA’s enemy. It works and if it’s still not sticking it’s only one of two things; print bed is too low, or you didn’t put the hairspray on right.
230c is insanely hot. For PLA it should be around 190-205, with some PLA even lower.
Thanks, I did not realize that the nozzle could be that close. I have tried that today and it gets ridiculously close. Thanks for the tip
Yesterday I had a few succesful prints using PLA at 190c and 0c for the bed. Some people say that the bed should be around ~50 / ~70c, others say you don’t need a heated bed for PLA. Could you elobarate on the advantages of heating for PLA?
It just helps with the first layers sticking to the glass, if you have adhesion problems. If not, and it’s sticking well, you can keep it off, however I think that with long prints it could potentially unstick, but probably not if you use hairspray (I’m going to have to test this). I guess lower heat is better though.
But I know for certain that I have a harder time removing the part if have the bed at a hotter temp. Also if it’s sticking, but not super super strong you run the risk of the nozzle moving the part when it’s half way done, especially if your edges are curling up from too much heat or if you are over-extruding the the nozzle hits the part. But that’s gonna be a crap print anyway. If it doesn’t unstick you should probably keep it off since you don’t have enough cooling as it is. I always have mine at 50-55c even though it might work without the heat but I do it anyway just because I have PTSD (Printer-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and I don’t want anything to go wrong. My symptoms are slowly disappearing now though, since it never jams anymore.
I do have same printer and also use makerware software.
this line is used to clean the noze.
this shouldn’t impact your bed level if well calibrated.
This buble is not normal
also try 195 deg and 50 deg for heated bed
regards,
Line is to “prime” the nozzle and establish consistency of flow.
Hi mine does the exact same thing. I believe it is because of the minimum layer time thing. Try changing that to 0.5 seconds in the custom settings. It has only started happening in the latest makerware 8.5 ( i think or whatever it is).
2 years later
Hi - Absolute beginner - and correctly speaking 230c workes fine with this Wanhao PLA Filliment\
i got a roll yesterday and it was printing Sh*t at 210c ( is hard as nails ) was like laying down rails whereas my previous
filament went on like paint - initial she was over-extruding at 230c. but changed the feed to 98%
seemes to have solved that . printing 100% now with 230c .