Print head going clockwise then anticlockwise repeatedly results in vertical line in print

[THX1138 1]

I printed basically a hollow cylinder or tube. The UM2 went clockwise and anticlockwise, alternating at the same point in the print each time and the result was a vertical line up the height of the print. Is there a way of preventing this and maybe going clockwise constantly and not going back on itself?

Below are links to the files (the GCODE file specifies 2 mm/s but I sped this up to 20 mm/s using the interface on the machine.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9r42urllb3ikfrq/Test%20diffusion%20tube%2C%2038%20mm%2C%202%20mm%2C%20top.stl?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kwrg3ol7my8n334/UM2_Test%20diffusion%20tube%2C%2038%20mm%2C%202%20mm%2C%20top.gcode?dl=0

[Buckyballs 2]

There's a setting in Cura under Shell called "Z Seam Alignment". The default setting is "back" which gives the one seam, and you can change it to random but I will warn you that it reduces the surface quality of the print as you get small "hairs" in some weird places on each layer. I personally like back because it makes finishing easier.

[THX1138 1]

There's a setting in Cura under Shell called "Z Seam Alignment". The default setting is "back" which gives the one seam, and you can change it to random but I will warn you that it reduces the surface quality of the print as you get small "hairs" in some weird places on each layer. I personally like back because it makes finishing easier.

 

Thanks. I'm hoping to use chloroform to smooth my print anyway so maybe the random setting will produce a satisfactory print in the end.

[Labern 775]

Try spiralize. it will continuously go around and around.

In CURA 2.4 you can also try retract on layer change and you make retractions really fast.

[THX1138 1]

Try spiralize. it will continuously go around and around.

In CURA 2.4 you can also try retract on layer change and you make retractions really fast.

 

Thanks, Labern; I'll check both of those out!

[Buckyballs 2]

One thing to note is that if you use spiralize, your top layer quality will decrease significantly. This is because you are setting your Z height to be changing constantly rather than having discrete steps.

[eldrick 65]

Spiralize only works if the cylinder walls are a single extruded line thick.

[THX1138 1]

Spiralize only works if the cylinder walls are a single extruded line thick.

 

What would happen if you set it to spiralize when the cylinder walls are thicker than a single extruded line?

[peggyb 171]

spiralize only works if it makes a continues path around the object, otherwise the spiral will be broken... so, no jumps to another area...

It can only make one extruded line around the object, which you can set to a thicker line width within margins, like a 0.4 nozzle making a 0.5 line width.

Keep in mind: a normal layer will print its information and after that the build plate lowers a bit to start the next layer. With spiralize the build plate gradually lowers during the printed layers (feel at the z-leadscrew in the back of the printer, or listen).

[THX1138 1]

Try spiralize. it will continuously go around and around.

In CURA 2.4 you can also try retract on layer change and you make retractions really fast.

 

I've enabled retract at layer change but I think I need to change the gcode flavour in order to set the 'retraction retract speed' and 'retraction prime speed'. Is that important to make this work?

[Labern 775]

You can change the speed on the printer. Not that important but it helps.