Generic Prusa help

[TCMars]

All,
I just built my first generic Prusa i3 kit and I’m having some issues with print quality. I printed out a 3DBenchy and it’s just about the saddest looking little bo-at you could imagine. If any experienced eyes could take a look at the attached pictures and tell me where my faults might be I would greatly appreciate it.
-Tony C

[TCMars]

Some details:

Material: PLA

Resolution: .2mm

Extruder temp: 205*c

Bed temp: 70*c

Thanks,
-Tony C

[wirlybird]

My thoughts are, bed to hot. try at 55-60. Maybe a little to hot on extruder but try bed first. Maybe a little over extruded. Otherwise not as bad as you feel!

[Enza3D]

Following up on what @wirlybird said, this is definitely not a terrible print, especially for your first one on a new printer. Bed temp is rather high, I generally keep it below 60.

You also might try slowing down the print speed a bit at least until you’re more comfortable printing with your machine.

[chanman]

For PLA, you do not really need a heated bed, as the others suggest, go lower or even turn it off. The droops that you see on the side means that the filament was not cooling down fast enough, check that the fan is running at 100% after the first layer is down.

[TCMars]

Copy all, thanks for the advice and votes of confidence.

What I noticed is that when you look closely at the benchy, the first few millimeters of layers look good, it’s after that they start to get droopy. As it was printing, the plastic seemed to start to curve upwards rather than lay flat. But that was after the first few layers. Does that still point to a bed issue?

As far as the cooling fan, the only fan is attached to the extruder assembly and seems to be more for keeping the extruder cool rather than the model. Should I install a fan aimed at the model?

Finally, if anyone has any suggustions on how to expand my 3D printing knowledge I would appreciate it. I’m finding it difficult to sift through the mounds of forums and miscellaneous articles when I don’t know what I don’t know.

Thanks all.

[wirlybird]

If you don’t have the secondary fan that cools the filament as it prints then look into it. In the mean time get a little table fan or something and turn it on after the first layer or so. You just need to move some air across the print. FYI, ABS doesn’t need this.