1

Hi all, I am printing Makergeeks PLA at 210. I can also print it at 190. It looks good at both but what can I look for to determine the best temp?

Thanks for any thoughts.

2

The best way is to print a temperature calibration tower (just search thingiverse) and use a wide range of temps like 180-220 or 170-230) put the higher temp on the bottom. You will be able to see the effects of high and low temps with your printer and filament.

3

Thanks, I was thinking something along that lines.

I am using S3D and know how to do multiple processes but I am not sure how to get it to wait for a temp change in between processes.

Any thoughts on that one?!

4

No need to get that complex. Just slice it and then check the layer numbers around where the temp blocks change. Then change the extruder temperature from high to lower at each layer in the temperature settings using a single process. The extruder will cool within a few layers. Just make sure your print speeds and fan are set to the same rates as your normal prints. And remember different filaments especially light colors dark colors and transparent colors react differently to different temperatures.

1 Like
5

Makes sense and much easier.

6

So I gave this a go and the results where less than great! The temp didn’t seem to make much noticeable difference over the entire tower. The output was not very good. Maybe I needed to slow down even more than I did but the print took over 2 hours on a 10mm by 10mm tower going from 185-230 so it wasn’t screaming fast!

7

Hello @wirlybird

I think it is still a result. Some materials have a wider print temperature range which is good for the average user. Imagine if PLA needed to be within a 2 degree range of its optimal temperature to get a decent print. That would be a nightmare. Try ABS and you might get more noticeable results.

Cheers,

James

8

Very good point! I think what I am going to try is a 20 X 20 test cube no top/bottom or infill style more to see how the temp affects the color and sheen of the material on the outer shell layer. I did some parts recently with Makergeeks Crystal blue and at 190 it prints nice and gives a smooth surface with an eggshell looking sheen. At 210-230 it still prints well but is a more vibrant gloss blue like you might expect from “Crystal” but the surface seems not quite as smooth. Definitely a difference by temp.