Strange blobs of plastic

[FatDragonTom 26]

Does anyone know what the cause of this buildup of PLA on the top of my models is from? I'm new to 3D printing, so total newb here. I'm running PLA at 230 degrees, 30mm speed and .06 resolution.

One box file printed perfect, the one on the left has the blobs of plastic around the tube.

Here it is around the antenna of the Ultimaker robot.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[IRobertI 521]

Your problem is heat, the plastic isn't cooling down properly before the next layer is put on. You're also printing PLA way too hot for that tiny volume/sec you are printing. I would lower the temperature to 210C to start with.

The melted top parts will be helped by printing more than one thing at once so that the head moves away from the print and lets it cool down properly.

I'll also shamelessly link a couple of guides I wrote that might help you as you are just starting out:

http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/30-getting-better-prints'>http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/30-getting-better-prints'>http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/30-getting-better-prints'>http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/30-getting-better-prints

http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/23-a-visual-ultimaker-troubleshooting-guide

There's a couple more things that you might find helpful there as well http://support.3dverkstan.se

[FatDragonTom 26]

Thanks!

[FatDragonTom 26]

I was printing at that temperature because I've been having issues with under extrusion, even after making sure the print head wasn't clogged. I think the culprit may be the filament feed mechanism. Mine appears to be grinding the filament pretty severely, can anyone tell me where the little white tension indicators should be on an Ultimaker 2 Go? Mine came from he factory clear at the top, but I read here not he forums that anything after mid-2014 should be in the middle. Is this correct?

[Remy 13]

I was printing at that temperature because I've been having issues with under extrusion, even after making sure the print head wasn't clogged. I think the culprit may be the filament feed mechanism. Mine appears to be grinding the filament pretty severely, can anyone tell me where the little white tension indicators should be on an Ultimaker 2 Go? Mine came from he factory clear at the top, but I read here not he forums that anything after mid-2014 should be in the middle. Is this correct?

 

Generally what's recommended is between the top and the middle indicator lines for the feeder tension. However, grinding is caused when the feeder is kicking back consistently over one section of filament. When the feeder kicks back, it says "tock-tock," and indicates that the filament is unable to forward for some reason. A common cause is a clog or blockage in the nozzle or Bowden tube, which can also contribute to under extrusion.

Have you performed the Atomic method to make sure there is no material built up in the nozzle? I've linked to a guide on the Atomic method below. I usually do this whenever I change filament as I find it convenient to do so when the material is already unloaded.

https://ultimaker.com/en/support/view/149-atomic-method

In addition, I would check to make sure the filament is not wound too tightly on the spool. This can contribute to under extrusion by adding friction to the filament which causes the feeder gear struggle. Some users have had success with cutting off enough material for the next job and printing with the loose material off the spool. But allowing a little slack for the filament as it comes off the spool or adding a drop of sewing machine oil can also help correct under extrusion. Robert's visual troubleshooting guide addresses the causes for under extrusion brilliantly so I would recommend having a read of that as well.

Another good rule of thumb is the hotter you print, the faster you can print. The reverse is also true (the cooler you print, the slower you have to go). Printing at 210 C I would keep speeds at or under about 40 mm/s. If you go up to 230 you can increase your print speeds a bit more as the material will be melting faster and extruding more smoothly.