Print Quality

wirlybird · 2016-11-03T12:44:53.000Z

From your other comment I am guessing this is ABS.

First I would cut the print speed in half and see how it goes. Also try the print with one shell and no top/bottom or infil and see how the sides come out.

I think 230 is good for ABS and I run about 100 on the bed (different printer)

If the printer is not enclosed ABS is going to give you problems. But, your print isn’t that bad considering. More tuning I think.

Nebbian · 2016-11-04T03:36:06.000Z

Things to check:

Nozzle doesn’t have any clicking or wobble when you grab it and try to move it
Grub screws on pulleys are all TIGHT. This one is very difficult to see, and can cause this sort of issue
Belts are tight
Bed doesn’t have any wobble when you grab it and move it
Extruder hobbs are concentric to shaft (again, very difficult to check), you’ve got to watch the idler pulley as the extruder bolt goes through a revolution to see if the idler pulley moves slightly in and out

Check to see if the layers are offset, or if the extrusion is fatter for one layer. This will tell you whether it’s a mechanical positioning issue, or an extrusion issue. The way to check this is to pick a layer that pokes out on one side of the cube, and see if it pokes in or out on the other side of the cube.

shahramrobotics · 2016-11-04T04:00:33.000Z

Print as tall as you can, make it tiny like the size of the Z shaft and you’ll see if the bed is moving to the sides while going down for each layer or not. If the shaft is not fully straight or the bed attachment is loose or misaligned you will see different patterns on the print. You can also exchange the step motor drivers to see if they are causing this issue.

Perry_1 · 2016-11-04T13:33:55.000Z

Looks like over-extrusion to me. You are laying too much plastic down, that is squishing out.

Lower extrusion width %.

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-04T15:35:45.000Z

Yes, It is ABS. Thanks for the quick reply. The parts are usable, but I really prefer to have clean, parts that are aesthetically nice as well. Do you think it is possible to have a poorly machined hobbed bolt, and going to a direct drive would fix this?

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-04T15:38:26.000Z

Thanks for the quick reply!!

I have checked the nozzle, and made sure everything was snug, and there was no play in everything.

I will however, check the set screws on the pulleys. I never thought of that, and i don’t think that’s it. But, it never hurts to try.

Also, with the hobbed bolt, are you saying I could have a poorly machined hobbed bolt?

Is it possible a direct drive extruder would fix this?

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-04T15:39:18.000Z

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately, I have tried that. It remains the same, It just adds air pockets when i lower extrusion rate.

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-04T15:41:17.000Z

Does anyone think that I may just have a poor extruder setup, and going to an aluminum direct drive would help?

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-04T15:45:13.000Z

Currently using Repetier, and slicing with CuraEngine. But again, i have tried using Slicer and Pronterface, as well as Cura Software. Octave ABS Filament. Print speed: 50 mm/s Extruder temp: have tried anywhere 215C to 2550C. Currently at 220. Bed temp: 80C Layer height: .2mm Nozzle size: .3mm Using a geared extruder with an 8mm hobbed bolt.

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-04T15:50:08.000Z

If the layers on the tall cylinder aren’t lining up very nicely, (Also, it is SUPER brittle. Possibly a key to part of the problem) what kinds of things can I try? My Z-axis doesn’t appear to have any wobble. But, the layers on the cylinder look just like the layers on the cube, however, they lined up a little better. Thoughts?

wirlybird · 2016-11-04T16:03:32.000Z

Again with a .3 nozzle have you slowed down the print speed a lot. You seem to be at 3000mm/min, that is pretty fast. I would try a single wall cube no top or bottom no infill at 230 temp and 1000-1500mm/min and see how it comes out. Then measure the height and side thickness and see how close to the measurements they are. This will tell you where to start some settings.

You have to get to basics to see where the issue is.

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-04T17:23:00.000Z

I went down to 2400mm/min. I will try going slower tonight. Along with measuring my thickness results.

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-05T01:06:30.000Z

What Is the best way to calculate extruder steps?

shahramrobotics · 2016-11-05T01:28:10.000Z

Slow your print down to 15mm/s this time print a short (like 5 to 10 layers) but very wide cylinder (max bed size) if you still see the same issue then it’s probably the motor driver(s) or like a power issue that fools the drivers. Have you tried a UPS?

Nebbian · 2016-11-05T06:10:25.000Z

It’s certainly possible that the hobbed bolt is at fault. You can check your print to confirm, see if the layer is fatter all the way around the print, or if the layers are offset from each other. If the layer is fatter all the way around, then a new extruder will help.

3DFlying · 2016-11-06T19:33:11.000Z

To me it looks like your hot end temperature is varying too much. You may need to look up some information on how to do PID tuning.

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-07T01:13:27.000Z

If I do a PID autotune, and input the values, should that be accurate enough?

3DFlying · 2016-11-07T01:57:31.000Z

Yeah, most people use PID autotune

levitaylorprusa · 2016-11-07T02:08:00.000Z

I will try that as well. What is UPS?

shahramrobotics · 2016-11-07T18:56:17.000Z

Uninterruptible power supply, it has many filters that removes all the noises of the power grid and will give your printer a very clean and stable 110v 60hz/220v 50hz , also some of them have internal batteries so you can continue printing for a while even during blackouts.