If that’s ABS then I believe your heatbed should be hotter (also as a note, ABS doesn’t usually print well with open air printers).
Make sure your extruder is set to the temp is should for the ABS filament you’re using. Some vary in recommended temperature.
I honestly think the default print surface is way better than glass or tape or pretty much anything apart from maybe PEI.
Try printing with a brim instead of a skirt and perhaps try printing a bit slower till you start getting solid prints again.
Also idk what slicer you’re using or the profile you’re using for that slicer, but I recommend Cura 2.5 or Simplify3D, try searching the internet for profiles people have already had success with. I recently got a Cocoon create Touch which is a Wanhao Dublicator i3 Plus rebrand and I have been comfortably using the default Cocoon create Touch default profile. They keep updating their website links since it’s new but this link should have profiles for ABS and PLA: http://support.winplus.com.au/hc/en-us/articles/115002537203-CURA-Profiles-for-the-Cocoon-Create-Touch-HE161192
Going back one tab will take you to more information like filament temps, manuals, gcode sames etc…
Hope this info helps 
You bed temps are way to low for abs.
Hotbed: 90 - 95 C for abs
Nozzle: ~245 C
Print adhesion requires you to play around with some simple stuff. First make sure it’s a good surface for adhesion. There are a million ideas on what that means. I still use the stick on surface that came with mine. Second experiment with temps. Hot bed temp and nozzle temp adjustments make a huge difference for surface adhesion play around ±10C layer.
Haven’t seen you switch out filaments? Have you tried a different brand?
I think you should start with PLA and get a hang of the settings. i.e leveling, quality, etc then move to ABS.
ABS needs hi-temp + optional ABS glue/slurry to get the first layer stick to the bed, PLA doesn’t 60 bed temp would be enough.
Try HATCHBOX 1.75 PLA and see if it works out then it’s ABS filament.
For the nozzle yours should be ok as far the video shows but the best ones out there are Micro Swiss Mk10 All Metal Hotend Upgrade Kit
That doesn’t need PTFE tubing at all and also makes it easier to insert filaments. I the stock one was the worst.
Also did you took the buildtak surface on your bed?
I will certainly try reducing the speed and increasing temperature. You’re right, the videos do not show it but the fan is indeed off.
I could try different filaments. But this one I’ve printed a lot with before the mysterious something happened.
Also, although I mentioned I heated to ABS temperature, I am using PLA made by Inland.
I will order the Micro Swiss hotend. I like the fact it’s all metal, and one video I watched said it lets you print at higher temperatures, opening the door to other materials. Looks like it’s worth the upgrade.
I thought I had damaged the original buildtak surface. It was certainly after I gouged it the problems started. I first replaced it with the spare that came with the printer (way easier to remove and clean than I’ve read). When that didn’t solve the problem I switched to glass.
I should have been clearer in my post: I’m using PLA. The picture I took was after pressing the preheat button for PLA - it got up to 54°C and my thermometer read 50.8°. I tried at various temps and found the thermometer read 3-4° lower than what the printer’s LCD tells me. That was the point I was trying to make. The actual gcodes heated higher (I’ll have to look them up)
As for slicer: I’ve used mostly Slic3r. I’ve tried Cura but found it a bit more difficult. Also, many videos I’ve tried to follow used Slic3r, so using it made it easier to follow.
I can’t wait to try calibration tests - I just can’t get past the first layer or two right now. Although I’ve not varied the flowrate - I’ll give that a try.
I thought Wanhao fixed this. I just bought the printer a week ago (although it could be old stock - I should check the serial).
In any event, I’m not using ABS yet. When I do, I will certainly be careful.
Thanks for the encouragement. What’s the best way to get that initial drip off before printing? I use a stiff card and just kinda scrape it off (usually works, sometimes pushes it more against the nozzle). If there’s enough hanging I chance using my fingers. Said “ouch” once or twice, but no real harm done.
I will probably try hairspray first. The skirt definitely looks like it should help (I said “brim” in my OP, but I meant “skirt”). As you see in my first vid, it didn’t work (not to say I will stop doing that! it still is a good idea)
I don’t even know how, yet, to make changes like this. There’s a menu called PID, but I don’t know what it’s for and am not going to mess with it until I do.
Yup, lots of reading, youtube watching. I am so happy with how eager to help and share the community is (just look at all these responses in less than a day!).
Definitely getting that feeler gauge! Thanks!
During the auto-level, the LCD says to level so the nozzle is 1 mm away from the plate. I know now that’s not correct, but for my first few prints I didn’t. I didn’t have anything 1 mm and I was impatient to print. So I used the spatula (0.7 mm). I printed the unicorn that came with the SD card, and it turned out fine - right out of the box. Weird.
Thanks! My two new friends: trial and error 
Also, I wasn’t clear in the OP, but I’m using PLA.
Thanks! I guess I should build an enclosure. Is that to prevent drafts from messing with the temperatures? How much of a difference do you find it makes?
Thanks! I guess I should build an enclosure. Is that to prevent drafts from messing with the temperatures? How much of a difference do you find it makes?
Will do. Lots of good suggestions here. Thank you.!
That seems to be the consensus. How long does an application of 3DLac last?
Thank you everyone for your advice. I have a new hope (“Help me Obi Wanhao, you’re my only hope”). Got some playing around to do over the next couple of days. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Update: using 0.1 mm paper to level has, I believe, provided the most benefit. I also started using hairspray and increased the bed temp.
I now can reliably print! I can actually start a print and walk away, knowing it’ll be good. THANK YOU!
The only failed print I’ve had was a very tall model (Z-Alignment by LynchMob_Lerry - Thingiverse). I printed both a skirt and a raft, but about half-way up the raft started to curl then separate. Maybe a wider raft; maybe more hairspray. At least now I can tweak instead of hitting instant failure out of the gate.
Good to have you back. 3D printing takes a lot of patience and skills. I also have a Wanhao i3 that I almost gave up on, wanted to sell it on FB groups. My issues were changing/feeding filaments with the stock extruder which made it easier after upgrading to Micro Swiss nozzle and heater block kit. Then there was the bed adhesion issue, solved by proper leveling using guage/paper and sometimes using Tape. Another one was the quality of the print… Always a mess, prints look horrible, this one solved by switching to S3D. Right now, it has printed a Jade Riffle (myminifactory) and I consider it my top 2 printer at home amongst my other 5 printers in terms of quality. ? Every problem has a solution, it doesn’t have always to be the same but there’s always going to be a workaround.
I use a Maker Select V2 which is the same thing rebranded as the Wanhao i3. I’d suggest you switch to an all metal hot end. From my experience it’s easier than dealing with that liner tube. Also, after awhile of printing with it I had trouble with the gear slippage on the extrusion motor which was fixed with taking it apart and putting some threadlocker on the locking grub nut that holds it in place (be careful with the spring!) Just something to look out for.
From the videos I agree with the people on here that said you need some gluestick or net hair spray on your glass bed. That is what looks like might be a problem, the filament is curling and getting stuck on the nozzle and not adhering. Once you have printed a bit you won’t need to keep on using hairspray at least I don’t have to, unless I clean the glass thoroughly with rubbing alcohol.
You might have an easier time meticulously leveling one specific area of the bed and moving your prints to that spot instead of the very center of the bed and print testing to see if bed level issues are also creeping in. Or print a calibration circle and tweak the level as it is printing twisting the nuts gently. For that I used to slow down the print speed, before opting for a touch sensor and ramps upgrade.
It can also depend on the filament you are using and possibly the temps too. If you are entry level definitely stick to PLA just because it’s easy and lower temp. When you get into PET and even ABS you have a lot of factors ie ABS hates drafts. It wasn’t until I started using other filament types that I started understanding and really learning all about settings like layer height, extrusion rate. I think that aspect of 3D printing seems daunting, but it really helps understanding those settings, and there are great YouTube videos, Reddit posts and the like to help you in figuring it all out. Keep at it, don’t give up, we are all rooting for you and here to help!
