rkondakjian

Well this kinda sucks. I guess I could increase the bed temp 😏 I'll wait until I'm not printing and just heat up the plate and run another temp scan. Even if the bed is off - 65 should be hot enough for PLA to stick and not warp, right?

My next step was to put the printer inside the enclosure. I don't like the layout/design of the enclosure as it would subsequently limit access to the spool, making filament changes a little clumsy. If it turns out there is an issue with my plate not heating up evenly, is there a fix for that short of replacing the bed itself? Thank you.

"What material?" PLA - in this specific case, Polaroid PLA for blue and Amazon Basics for black, but this has happened with Sunlu PLA as well " It's kind of shiny - would it happen to be PETG?" Using Sunlu I set nozzle temp to 210 to avoid clogging, but for Polaroid and Amazon Basics, nozzle temp was 200 "What is the build plate temperature?" I set the bed to 70 (some prints might have been 60, and then subsequently increased to 70 to try to counteract the warping, using the brim, etc) "What is the build plate made of?" It's the frosted PEI plate - this https://www.amazon.com/Creality-Printing-Magnetic-Flexible-Platform/dp/B09QCL4KFN/ "Do you have any way to check if the temperature is uniform across the surface?" I do have a digital infrared thermometer gun - I could give that a try

I have an Ender 5, and for the most part most of my prints are relatively small footprints, and they come out "perfect". When I try to print larger models I am getting warping, but only in the front left corner. I've tried a few of the routine approaches to address this, rotating the model 90 degrees, using a brim, even moving the model further left. Yet it seems I get the warp in the same section of the print each time. I have some suspicions, none of which I have been able to put to use to overcome it at this time. I'm curious if this behavior is unique to my bed, or it's just a natural phenomena with 3d printing that it's always the same position regardless of what I am printing. Attached picture are not a complete history of all attempts I've tried, they are just visual support of what I have experienced. The first blue model is roughly 220mm wide x 95 deep. The 2nd and 3rd are 140x200. I have tried printing those longwise along the X and then the Y, and then even using a brim. The extra warpness in the 3rd picture is the result after I stopped the print and ripped the still hot model, brim and all, off the bed.

I found my issue. Now I have to find out when/why I changed this parameter... 🤨

I hope this is just a one time fluke with my printer that might simply require rebooting it. I always use Standard Quality printing for layer height of 0.2 mm. All my past prints, when I monitor the display, I clearly see the layer height change in increments of 0.2 mm. (o.2, 0.4, 0.6, etc, etc...) Today, I am getting all kind of random layer height changes. The base layer went down as 0.2, but then after that, the layer changes were in increments of 0.24 mm, (0.2, 0.44, 0.68, 0.92, 1.16, 1.4) but then it's sporadic, and in some cases the layer change is only 0.16 mm. (1.88, 2.08, 2.4, 2.56) I don't believe I selected anything unique in my CURA profile that I haven't been using all along. What might cause this flux in layer height? Thanks you, Robert

Yes, I'm finding that in the code after doing a "LAYER:" search... Running this test with my new tower still showed stringing and splinters, so I'm thinking the retraction distance isn't the issue, perhaps speed. Will rerun tests with Retraction Speed starting at 40mm/s and going up in 5mm/s increments. Thank you for the feedback. G1 X217.893 Y177.681 E590.74552 G1 X218.151 Y177.774 E590.75464 G1 F1800.0 E584.25464;[CAZO:G1 F1500 E584.25464:CAZO] ;MESH:NONMESH G0 F300 X218.151 Y177.774 Z17 G0 F12000 X217.559 Y178.479 G0 X177.504 Y178.871 G0 X176.085 Y178.871 G0 X134.961 Y178.514 G0 X134.312 Y178.401 ;TIME_ELAPSED:1492.495311 ;LAYER:84 ;[CAZD: ;RETRACTFEEDRATE 1500.0 ;RETRACTLENGTH 7.0 ;:CAZD] ;TYPE:WALL-OUTER ;MESH:Retraction Tower Test.stl G1 F1500.0 E590.75464;[CAZO:G1 F1500 E590.75464:CAZO] G1 F600 X134.406 Y178.306 E590.75909

I think I found my problem - trying to do too much with one print. It appears Cura is not changing the Retraction Lengths using Post Processing -> Modify G-Code The only G1 E- found in this code is the initial 6mm and 30 mm/s set in the Configuration. While using the Post Processing commands does clearly provide me feedback on the LCD display that the Nozzle Temperature or even Fan Speed is changing, there is no way to detect the Retraction Distance changed at all. And after examining this G-Code, it's not there... 😡 So now back to running individual towers with individual fixed Retraction settings.

Thank you for the feedback. I was running another print of the card holder after applying the Retraction settings. Things became so much more obvious on a larger scale when the print actually finished going through all the layers. Now there's value in what I just learned from this failed print - I had inadvertently left my infill at 0.00%. All four corner columns are merely the shell - a 0.4 mm wall. The good news from this completed print, I know for a fact my gears are 100% calibrated because the nozzle lined up perfectly with the previous layer for at least 50mm of Z travel. 😉 I also found I had a slight error/offset in my previous 10 stage tower, very minimal offset stacking the cubes in each layer. I created a new Tower to hopefully better mimic my project printing environment. Now off to run more calibration tests with varying Retraction settings. Thanks again for the feedback. Retraction Tower Test.stl

Hello, I am trying to troubleshoot why I am running into an issue when printing a tray to hold playing cards (decks of UNO, etc). 191423.jpg - First picture The problem, or rather end result in earlier prints is under extrusion, which can be caused by multiple items, so I am going through the calibration steps one at a time, following Teaching Tech. The tray has a few slivers extending out at joints or corners (seen in the first pic and circled in red), which, as explained in other posts as under extrusion, but what I am after is what parameter or setting do I need to further investigate? I am going back and forth between Temperature and Retraction Tuning. I am using Sunlu PLA which is recommended 200 - 210 degrees. I am running through the Teaching Tech steps, and currently running Retraction Test using the starting value of 40mm/sec with 6mm for 4 different temperatures, 200, 205, 210 and 215, but I increase my fan speed in 10% stages for each temp test 191050.jpg - Second picture The 210 between 80% and 90% appears to give the best Temp results, so I move on to trying different Retraction settings - Nozzle 210 Bed 60. CURA Stand Quality defaults speed at 25 mm/sec and I first test distance starting with 5mm to 7.5 in +5 increments 191131.jpg - Third picture. 6mm seems to be the best, I move on to test varying speed Nozzle 210 bed 60 retraction distance 6mm I set the speed 20mm/s to 65mm/s in +5 increments 191156.jpg - Fourth Picture - this cut off at the top, the cleanest look seemed to be either 30mm/s or 35mm/s - I chose 30mm/s for now. I go back to my Temperature testing, but this time I want to test fan speeds in greater detail, starting at 82% and increasing +2% up to 100% 191222.jpg - Fifth picture - Nozzle 210 bed 60 Retraction Distance 6mm and Speed 30mm/s The first attempt to print failed as the cooling fan seemed to be too much to allow the tower to adhere to the base, so I increased the bed temp to 70 and reran the test 191314.jpg - Sixth picture - is a close up. I need to follow up on a few things - why do I get what looks like a clean print at 80% fan speed in my first tower when I start at 10%, but then when I start with the first layer fan speed 82% I get the same splintering in the inside lower right? What causes those strings to splinter - what calibration setting do I need to look into next? Here are the troubleshooting steps I have taken so far to try to find and address this: Ender 5 Plus running Marlin 2.1.1 using CURA 5.4.0 #1 Frame Check - Everything is solid, and the printer is sitting on top of a heavy duty 2x4 and flooring plywood bench - there is absolutely no movement or shaking during printing Printer is level in all planes as well, X, Y and Z plane #2 PID Autotune - using Pronterface, set the Nozzle for 210 and bed for 70 #3 Extruder E-Steps - I have 2 places I can test the filament before the hot end, before the Bowden Tube at the extruder, after the Bowden Tube before the Hot End, and then with the filament running through the hot end. In all these cases I measure 100 Millimeters as called for with the G1 E100 F50 command #4 First Layer - I am using the CURA Extensions Bed Level Calibration (the 9 connected squares) - I used the MARLIN Tramming Wizard and got all 4 screws (with Silicone bushings, not springs) to measure the same 00.00. I then ran Bed Leveling. I then baby stepped the Z Offset until the first layer at all 9 points were "perfect" #5 Stepper Motor Driver Current - I laid a ruler on the plate lined up with the nozzle and using the menu moved the X and Y axis multiple times in 10, 1, and even 0.1 mm increments. I did the same with both the left and right Z axis motors - everything moves precisely as it should, and stays level, I also first made sure the gantry was the same height at both Z motor screws. I appreciate any and all feedback of what to focus on next - how do I stop the splinters/under extrusion issue. Thank you.

I couldn't manually feed filament, nozzle was clogged. I was able to clear the clog and get filament to extrude through the nozzle, but not without casualties 😁. Restarted printing and will observe behavior.

It's an Ender 5 Plus, the bed moves down. I wasn't present at the time those layers were printed, but I don't have any shavings in the extruder.... I will run the extrusion test again, make sure I don't have any issues there. Thanks for the feedback

Hello, I'm trying to search this forum for other scenarios before I post , but most searches are only successful if you know what key words to use. What is the gap between these vertical layers referenced as? I'm sure once I know the right terminology I could then find what causes this, and ultimately how to prevent it in future prints. Thank you in advance for all feedback.

I am not sure what or how else to refer to it other than it looks like the material is glistening. Is there a correct term for what I am experiencing? In prints where the nozzle comes back to fill in various locations in the layer, it seems the lines have variations in appearence. When I print an uninterrupted square, i.e. the nozzle can start in one corner and make one continuous sweep of diagonal lines, I don't notice this. However, whenever the layer has holes, the nozzle start to lay down the fill in one area, moves to another section, and then comes back to fill in the voids. Is this the effect of the earlier material cooling as compared to the freshly printed material? I hope the clarity shows up in these pictures.

Hello, I have watched several videos that show how easy it is to setup your printer to print the Temp Tower. When I attempt to print one, it fails. #1 - Do you use cooling? This seems like an obvious "Yes" answer. Of course you do, because without cooling, there is no way to support the print between the two towers. #2 - This brings me to my real issue - what should your cooling fan percentage be set to? If you aren't supposed to use cooling, then should you use supports? I think this should be no. But if you aren't supposed to use cooling, and you are supposed to use support, then what type/setting support should you use? I'm pretty sure you are not suppose to use any support. Background information. I am using CURA v5.4.0. I have an Ender 5 plus running Marlin 2.1.1 using Sunlu PLA 1.75mm. I am using a 0.4mm nozzle. The recommend printing parameters for Sunlu are "Recommended PLA Filament Extrusion/Nozzle Temperature 215-220℃, bed 70℃". I am setting my printing temperatures to 220. I am using the provided PLA TempTower from the CURA Extensions which should step me through 220 - 180 degrees. When I slice the tower, I am setting each layer to 0.16mm so I get an even 52 layers per tower. The problem is, once I get to layer 4, the cooling fan kicks up to 100%, and I can cannot get the filament to stick to the tower, it falls apart. I do have a silicone sock protecting the nozzle (99% of it is covered, only the extreme tip is exposed). I have changed my printing to use the PLA+ tower - this one starts at 230 degrees. I wanted to see if starting at a higher temperature improved anything. At this point I am going to try to find the right fan setting, creating a similar tower, keeping my nozzle heat set, and gradually increase the fan in 5% increments, as it seems running at 100% simply isn't working for me on this machine. Thanks in advance for all suggestions and feedback Robert