I feel like I am in desperate need of assistance. After leveling my bed over and over and over again one or both extrudes will still drag across the print and prints dont seem to ever stick to my bed. I am using the blue print pad that came with it, last time I changed the pad it worked great for like 10 prints then stopped holding prints down. Changed it again got maybe 4ish ok prints and not its nearly every print will not stick. I am not sure I if I am leveling incorrectly or what.
I use the provided blue card while leveling.
I am almost always getting curling as well.
Printing PLA
bed 60c
Extruder 195c
Using the MakerBot desktop softwear
If there is an option to retain bed heat in the makerbot software, adjust it so that bed stays heated for more layers printed. That will allow your print more time to adhere properly to the bed.
Otherwise try printing with a raft, same logic.
The best thing for the flashforge is Simplify 3d, the software is amazing and considered the single best upgrade.
Now onto bed adhesion. First, leave the heat on while printing. Second, level the bed not once, but 3 times, moving the nozel from point to point (which points, directly over the screws). Repeat it again and again because moving one can throw off others.
Bed surfaces? Are you using blue tape? PET? Glass? Kapton? Glue Stick? Hair Spray? Things to try - first, start with smaller prints, try elmer’s glue stick (purple stuff, very cheap) and aquanet hair spray - now, a little goes a long way. I like glass with PET because I can pull the glass and knock the print off or use a knife to get the print off, but I’ve used all the other too.
Does your printer have the fan the the left? If not, you need active cooling, there are a ton of active cooling mods avaialble and even a kit on ebay for less than $40.
I also don’t think you’re printing hot enough, 195 is low in my book, pop it up to 215.
Let us know what you’re trying. Also, take a photo of your set up, print head and bed, all those things will help us.
RAFT = Crutch, if you have to print with a RAFT, you’re doing something wrong. I love laughing at those new printing surfaces that come out all the time and most of the samples are on Rafts! What a crock - I can print on tissue paper with a raft!!
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modfab
5
Your bed is too hot, reduce temp to 40 deg C for starters. Watch the first layer as it prints, the extrusion should be flattened, to about 100% of the nozzle size (0.4mm flattened to 0.8mm wide) If the print still won’t stick, wipe down the blue sticker with alcohol, methyl or isopropyl. If you have persistent sticking issues, Rub the blue sticker with 280 grit wet and dry abrasive and wipe off with alcohol.
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Hi Sean,
Blue painters tape placed on the bed in strips (not overlapped) will solve the prints not sticking issue.
As for levelling, are you using Sailfish firmware or the out-of-the-box firmware? This will vary the answer I could give!
Cheers - Adam Chapman.
I do not use the blue paper that came with flashforge, for it is .20mm thick. I use white bond paper which is exactly .10mm thick. Slide it between the bed and nozzle, make sure you feel friction. Also use hairspray, one coat to hold on to prints while printing. Every time I print, I calibrate. Don’t be to critical of your calibration, just make sure you feel a scratchy feeling on the 3 points, and center and your done, for me just takes me 15 seconds or so to do this. As for glass + flashforge sticker maintenance, just cleen it with soap and abrasive dishwasher brush when your done removing the print, then apply hairspray when dry. If using ABS my settings are, 240C Extruder , 110C Bed Temp, PLA 220C Extruder, 60C Bed Temp with open top and front plus fan blowing. Hope this helps.
Get a piece of glass, I use the cheap home depot glass that comes in like 16" x 18" and I had them cut the glass for me a ring bit smaller than my bed. I didn’t use a spacer on the worm gear. Just make yourself some glass holders to be placed on the edge of the glass. Use hairspray on the glass, spray a few coats and let it dry completely. Use a post it note and relevel your bed. It should drag across the extruder tips.
It seems like a lot of overextrusion to me. Besides the bed being way too hot, I don’t heat the bed at all for PLA.
And - do you have cooling?
HOW DO YOU TURN THE HEATING BED OFF?!?! I thought this would take a simple google search to figure out, but I can’t find any info. I’m using ReplicatorG right now and it is complete crap. Slic3r also doesn’t do what I want it to. Help please!
