I started having that issue too recently and after trial and error figured out it’s all about the bed leveling and specifically the distance from the nozzle to the bed for the first layer. I’m not sure why I started having problems with it now when it’s been working great for a couple of months but it could be wear on the machine or something. What I sometime end up doing is adjusting the bed level on the fly while the first layer is printing. When I see it works I cancel the (failed) print, clear the bed and restart. It can also be worth adjusting the height of the first layer. Finally I would recommend buying Simplify3D. It works better than any other slicing software I’ve tried and reduces the possible error sources. It is well worth the money.
Have to agree with Invize on the Simplify3D purchase. Replicator G will always throw up the warning about accelerated build speeds, but it is usually nothing to worry about. How are you leveling the bed? With 1 sheet of 9x11 paper? Do you move the heads just above the leveling screws? Personally, I use 2 sheets of paper for .2mm prints and 1 sheet of paper for .1mm prints. I only level just above the 3 screws, this seems to save a lot of frustration. I personally use a temp of 230°C / 105°C ABS and 217°C / 50°C PLA. Feed rate I use is default 60 mm/sec in S3D. Also, it is good to have the nozzle purge in your starting G-Code, this will save you a lot of pre-load frustration. If you share a model I could slice it for you in Simplify3d and post it back up to see if that helps.
Hey, glad to see you have it working better now.
If it helps at all, I have a set routine that I have used for the last dozen or so prints that seems to work like a charm for consistent adhesion as well as good, easy release using the blue 3M pad. This is using ABS by the way.
Before every print, I take a paper towel and dab some isopropyl rubbing isopropyl alcohol (70% alchohol type) and give the blue pad a nice rub down. If there are any remnants of plastic on the pad I also take a dab of pure acetone on a paper towel and clean it off. Then next I take a new paper towel and give it four or five squirts of “Garnier Fructis” hairspray (“ultra-strong” hold level “4”) and wipe down the pad. Now I do both of these steps when the pad is cold. After that I start the pre-heating sequence. Within a few seconds of the pre-heating, I take the paper towel, give it another four or fives squirts, then dab the area where the print will be going…making sure to leave more hairspray down than soak it up.
After all of that is done and pre-heating is complete, I’ll start the print. I take some tweezers and pluck any remaining plastic from the nozzle just before it gets ready to print just in case. The prints lay down nice and stick right away. Depending on the scale of the print I will sometimes open the front door and add some cooling using a small fan from about two feet away.
Once the print is done, I take a fine edge scrapper and tap firmly at the base of the print while holding it steady with the other hand. After a few taps the prints just pop off the pad…no fuss no muss!
Anyways, I hope this helps you out some. I learned the hard way about the best methods to adhere to the blue mat. Before I figured out this method, I ruined the pad that came when it shipped after 4 or 5 prints because I tried using ABS “juice” to coat the pad. Even with a super thin coating, when I pulled the print up, it took half the blue pad with it…haha!
Good printing!
How do you set the first layers to go slower? I cant seem to find any speed settings in RepG
hey buddy, try a different slicer like Cura. Also helps to try some hairspray on your printer bed for extra adhesion.
Hey, Sorry to hear you’re having problems. I run a FlashForge Dreamer and get consistent prints. I found for the best success it first comes down to making sure your bed is level but with the correct amount of clearance for the nozzles.
I use the calibrate feature and take a piece of printer paper and slide it back and forth while adjusting the bed until a noise can be heard from the paper dragging. I normally try to level my bed off two or three times right in a row to make sure they are all adjusted. Too tight and it won’t apply right, too loose and the prints won’t stick either. Once you’re sure the bed is adjusted correctly. You can use two different techniques. My favorite for PLA is blue painters tape and hair spray. I don’t recommend heating the bed at all. I used a heated bed with hairspray and PLA and could barely get my prints off the bed! For ABS blue painters tape and a heated bed is required. ABS is much harder to get to stick without warping. I now print mostly with just PLA on a glass bed. The glass is nice as you can clean and prep it outside of your machine. I use 70 heated bed and just hairspray and it gives great prints!
Don’t give up, the Creator Pro is a great printer, I would double check the bed has the correct clearance, then try to run PLA with painters tape and hairspray. Also, I would run FlashForge Print software. I use Simplify3D and it is fantastic and worth the money.
Hi Josh,
First of all, I am really sorry to hear your bad experience with the said printer I hope the following suggestions would help.
1. Take a break, like about an hour or more just to cool your self down, this helps believe me I’ve been there.
2. Buy glass plate that fits your heating bed, you can get this from picture frames.
3. As for the spacer you may buy it online, or as long as the spacer you are placing is as thick as your glass plate anything would do as long as it fits at the back of the zed axis, there are a lot of instructional video online to show where to put the spacer.
4. Use adhesive to print straight to glass, like hairspray. Spray on the glass at least 3 coats while glass is cold.
5. I use silicon tape to keep the glass from sliding but if it is not available to you, you may use clips, just make sure it is not located where the extruder nozzle travels.
6. Re level your build plate, I know it is frustrating but since you installed a glass plate, there is no way around it.
7. Preheat build plate to 110 C and Nozzle to 230C , wait for at least five minutes, then hit print.
8. Do not remove the printed object right after printing, you have to allow it to cool down to room temperature. You may hit the bottom of your printed object with a chisel if it does not come off.
Hope this solves your problem. I have the same printer but with a glass build plate, it works fine, but my problem right now is the opposite of yours, since I am having problems in removing the printed objects. Good luck and don’t give up.
Experiment with raft to see if you get that to stick as a base.
How much are you offering? I need something practical and this printer just isn’t meeting the needs I have. I’ve got way too much money and time invested in this to invest anymore. I’d rather sell it and recoup the losses. I still owe some money on the printer so that is a major factor for me. If you’re interested send me an email directly, eragon9199@hotmail.com
Makerware SUCKS
ReplicatorG REALLY SUCKS
Unfortunately, you really only have one good choice with the FlashForge Creator Pro.
Simplify 3D is well worth the price. Personally, I think they should increase the price of the Creator Pro and include Simplify 3D with it out of the box. Some other manufacturers of high quality 3D printers already are.
Not doing so is sheer stupidity - kind of like selling a high performance automobile with bald retreads.
FFUSA does include S3D and glass plate as options now, but I believe it is up to the distributors to add this end user option.