ANY suggestions would be immensely appreciated…
Has anyone had an issue where they print (I’m using the flashforge creator pro) without a raft just fine? Then suddenly they require it… the ABS won’t stick to the bed at all?.. I’ve been using Simplify3d from the beginning as well. Played with the setting to get a raft that supposedly comes off easier… temps etc… I removed the original sheet that came on the bed of the flashforge, started using a glass bed and now came back to the original bed with a replacement blue Flashforge sheet on the bed. I’ve also replaced the nozzle with an all metal setup. I nonetheless printed without a raft many times.
NOW? It prints great with a raft… although I THINK the rods may be warping since it seems that while calibrating the bed the center is just a hair tighter after adjusting the screws… Anyway, when I print with a raft and skirt/brim the ABS sticks (the VERY FIRST LAYER) without issue… IF I DON’T use a raft (using the exact same ABS profile except with the RAFT box unchecked but the skirt/brim SELECTED) the ABS will not stick to the bed… it looks like it trails a thin spiderweb… It looks NOTHING like when it lays down the Skirt/Brim with the Raft option turned on… So confused…
I’m going to second re-leveling the print bed. Also what layer height are you printing at? I have nothing but trouble trying to do 0.1mm on my FFCP but 0.2 and 0.4mm work without much issue.
This is what works for me. Clean glass, wipe down with Aquanet hairspray as a cleaner, Apply clear ABS slurry at 80C. Heat bed to 95c when printing. Level bed at 80C and the nozzle cold. No rafts in years, they are old tech. Maybe brims, depends on design printing.
I use glass bed cleaned with rubbing alcohol and AquaNet (purple can) as well. I too have had times when I always had to print a raft, and then all of a sudden I don’t - even after leveling. I’ve had times when hairspray doesn’t work either - it’s strange. Printing has been pretty consistent lately without any problems.
Although recently whenever I print with ABS, I use Kapton tape on the glass with the hairspray. I haven’t had luck with ABS without the tape lately.
You really should never have to print with a raft. I have never used one with any material (ABS, PLA, PETG, Nylon, etc). I have 3 flashforge creator pros and a Makerbot. If it was printing fine but now it is not it is most likely a bed leveling issue. I always manually level my FlashForge Creator Pro. It is much easier than using the software to do it. You just raise the bed all the way up using the jogging controls the use the jogging to move the printer head backward and forward. You can manually move the printer head left and right. Adjust the screws on the bottom accordingly. You should also heat the bed and printer head when you are leveling the bed as it can make a difference with expansion of the bed material. Materials expand when heated and contract when cooled. My bed setup is this. Glass bed with PET tape and Auqanet hairspray. This works like a charm for ABS and PETG. For PLA you can print directly on glass using just the hairspray. My prints always come out beautifully using this method. Also the center should be slightly tighter than the rest. That is normal.
My brother has the same 3D printer and has never tried to print without the raft. He tries to avoid those problems. I have a QIDI Tech 1 and it has the same problem sometimes. I have adjusted the print bed during a “pause” and it did a little better, but still not as good as with the raft.
The Tech told me to make the bed cooler. That did not work either, and when I tried it with the print bed hot, the piece warped at the edges.
Have you tried to adjust your nozzle or bed temperatures? I am having trouble like you if I change a different brand of ABS, it needs few prints to get the bed adhesion correctly. And usually, when testing, I ran a small model as well as a larger model, as the model size affects the bed adhesion as well.
