Warped first layer

[KastaRules 0]

Hello everybody, my almost 4 years old Original+ has just started giving me a new problem: whenever I try to print something, the first layer (the brim) is so warped that I have to abort the print.

 

• I tried re-leveling the bed, having the filament squeezed hard on the glass plate and a *not* squeezed at all, no change. 
• I tried fiddling with the temperatures of both the head and the bed, still no change.
• I also tried changing the layer height but I always get the same result: the plastic warps upwards.

I haven't used my printer in a few months and I just updated Cura, could it be that there are some new settings which need to be tweaked?
I am using ColorFabb ABS.

[Nicolinux 288]

Hi,

 

which version of Cura do you use? If you use Cura 3.4.1 and still have installed the former version then try the old verion of Cura just to rule out a software related problem.

[gr5 2,170]

ABS is quite difficult to print.  Have you printed it before?  Do you have a heated bed?  This video will tell you the tricks to get it to stick well.  Very well.  But without a heated bed it's going to be very hard if not impossible.  I guess my advice is: don't print ABS.  It was the first popular material back in the day for 3d printing but we moved on a long time ago.  PLA is the easiest to print.  If you need something that can withstand higher temps then try nGen/PET/CPE.

 

 

[KastaRules 0]

Thank you for the quick replies!

 

25 minutes ago, Nicolinux said:

which version of Cura do you use? If you use Cura 3.4.1 and still have installed the former version then try the old verion of Cura just to rule out a software related problem.

I am on 3.4.1 right now. I'll try to re-install an older version and see if something changes.

 

11 minutes ago, gr5 said:

ABS is quite difficult to print.  Have you printed it before?  Do you have a heated bed?

 

Yes, I have printed ABS dozens of time with success in the past. And yes, I do have a heated bed. I agree PLA is the better material but I have printed with this very same ABS filament before with no problems. Could the issue be that the filament has just gotten old?

[Urmas1 0]

Hi,

What is your machine fan speed for first layers? If it is 0% try to start from 10% for example, this helped me out once.

Good luck!

[geert_2 557]

Or maybe a different sort of blue tape (for example with wax on it), or different environment characteristics (moisture, heat)?

 

[KastaRules 0]

On 9/5/2018 at 10:23 AM, Urmas1 said:

Hi,

What is your machine fan speed for first layers? If it is 0% try to start from 10% for example, this helped me out once.

Good luck!

This did the trick! I finally managed to get a decent print. I have never needed to activate the fan on the first layer before, I wonder why.

 

Thank you everybody for your helpful comments!

[gr5 2,170]

ABS!  I don't think you mentioned that.  That explains a bit.

 

If you have a heated bed you want it at 110C and I don't recommend blue tape. But if you insist on blue tape you need to wash it with isopropyl alcohol first to get the wax off of it.

 

Also for ABS it's important to enclose the machine.  The quick way is just put some saran wrap on the sides and front and put a cardboad box over the top.  You want the air to get up to about 35C inside the printer.  This will allow the heated bed also to get up to 110C (hard to get that hot without enclosing the printer.

 

If you don't do this your ABS parts may look fine but they will be weak along layer lines (bad layer adhesion).  And they will have a kind of "grain" to them.  Properly printed parts will have no weak grain.

[KastaRules 0]

 

8 hours ago, gr5 said:

ABS!  I don't think you mentioned that.  That explains a bit.

 

I did mention I am using ABS actually, it's in the first post right above the picture.
 

Quote

I am using ColorFabb ABS.

 

Furthermore I have been printing ABS for a long time and never had any issues with it (I think PLA gave me way more troubles back in the day). Could the problem be that this summer has been incredibly hot helping the plastic warp up?