Printing thin edges/lines with BronzeFill

[wickedthings]

Hi guys…

I am trying to print a keyring prototype for a friend which is based on a triangle-shaped logo made up of different lines.

I am trying to print it in BronzeFill, and the issue is that the top and bottom layers of these ‘lines’ aren’t closing consistently. Some are, some aren’t. As in you can see the separate shells, instead of a solid object.

I have tried all types of infill and shell settings, to no avail.

Are there any tricks to getting these to seal properly, or is it simply too thin?

Cheers,

Johnny

[steven_10]

sounds like you are getting under extrusion, but I would need to see a pic to be sure. check out the Scrumpty model on my hub:-https://www.3dhubs.com/gloucester/hubs/steven

This is how a print should look before and after polishing.

if it is under extrusion, there are a plethora of things you need to check.

[Colin_85]

Hi if you were to post a pic, it tells a 1000 words, most issues can be diagnosed by just looking at the results.

[modfab]

A picture would be a good idea I’ve run into this kind of issue myself and if it’s consistent between prints the issue is probably with the slicer and the limitations of the nozzle size. The slicer has to calculate what it can and can’t print and with some forms like small features or tapering features, the software will not be able to calculate a way to print them. I was using BronzeFill on a medallion and the lettering was getting holes in it. The closest I could come to getting the letters to form correctly was to reduce the shell/perimeter count to 1. If your slicer has a preview option, go into it and zoom in to the problem areas. This will give you a better idea of what you’re dealing with.

[wickedthings]

Thanks for your answers guys.

Sorry for not being clearer or posting pics. It’s not all BronzeFill prints I am having issues with. Just this really thin-edged one.

After a full day of experimenting, and a devastating waste of expensive filament, I almost have a partial solution (albeit a hacked one).

I have attached before/after pics so you can see what I mean about the the lines ‘closing’. The top of the print is now closing all over.

The bottom…not so much.

Sorry modfab, I forgot to mention that I was already down to 1 shell.

The nozzle size setting was a big part of my solution.

I created a custom profile in Makerware 3.6 with the following custom settings:

“layerWidthMaximum”: 0.3,
“layerWidthMinimum”: 0.3,
“infillShellSpacingMultiplier”: 0.2,

“nozzleDiameter”: 0.3,

“infillDensity”: 1.0,

“roofLayerCount”: 4,

“floorLayerCount”: 4,

I’m not sure if the roof/floor layer are even correct (should they be 0.4?), so perhaps they had no effect.

I don’t think this is very good for the printer (particularly the extruder), but I’m not sure which setting is making it so harsh. Any ideas?

Does anyone know why the bottom/floor layer still sucks? It it because of the raft?

1 - Floor layer

2 - Original

3 - Closed top

[Colin_85]

Have you thought about changing the orientation of the print, it looks like you could print it on its side, that might help, the smallest edge you can print will be just over twice the width of your nozzle.

[wickedthings]

I thought about it, but was worried the layer orientation would make it too fragile on some edges.

It’s worth a shot though. Thanks for that.

[wickedthings]

I tried changing the orientation and it collapsed unfortunately.

Is there a reason why the bottom would still be two unsealed shells, but the top is fine?

Is this a limitation of the technology I can’t hack my way out of?

The only thing I can think of is tweaking until it prints without a raft.

[Colin_85]

Have you tried checking the stl file to make sure that it hasn’t any defects / open edges. Try printing the 20mm test cube from thingiverse if that comes out ok as the walls are very thin then it might be the file. 3d Hubs has some suggestions in its faq’s for free programs you can use.

[Colin_85]

https://www.3dhubs.com/faq#will-it-print

[wickedthings]

Thanks Colin. No open edges, but I still need to try the test cube later. I suspect that will work though, as I haven’t had any issues with objects like small medallions with fine details. It’s just the bottom/floor of these thin line shapes.

[wickedthings]

UPDATE: The final part of the puzzle was printing with no raft.

I tried this previously and it was a disaster, but I suspect this is because the printer had been on for a while, and the BronzeFill had started playing up. This time I did it immediately after turning the printer on for the day. Sorted. I just wonder how many I could do before it starts going rogue again.

Thank you all for your helpful suggestions.

[imagine3dps]

Sorry for sidetracking the thread, but I have to ask Steven - how did you polish Scrumpty? All by hand? Tumbler? Polishing wheel? It looks great! Just trying to work out the best methods for working with Colorfabb’s metals.