Unable to print - layer not sticking

[raymie 0]

Just built my machine but ever print I try has the same issue - I get a thread of plastic from the head but this does not stick to the plate and just curls up into a tangle.

Tried

- starting print with head just above plate (about the width of a sheet of paper)

- PLA 190 degrees

- PLA 250 degrees

All ends up the same, nothing sticks to the blue tape on the printing plate.

[mm_build 1]

I would suggest raising the build platform even just a little bit more. If you close the distance to the point where it has a hard time extruding and it's still is not sticking, I would check that you are actually using PLA and not ABS. ABS does not stick worth a darn to blue tape, and it will bruise when you bend it while PLA tends to snap.

Also stick to about 240ish for now.

[raymie 0]

It is PLA. I ordered ABS but was only sent PLA by mistake so that is all I have. Will try raising the bed further tomorrow when I make another attempt (and see if anyone else has any ideas).

[ddurant 0]

On the first layer, it should probably be smushing the plastic onto the platform - the distance between nozzle & platform should be less than the diameter of the nozzle hole.

Also, make sure your platform is level..

[micha 0]

 

 

Follow this one. You might not need to oil the whole platform... a little messy in my opinion. I made a smaller sheet of aluminium foil, with some oil on the back to have it stick at the platform. Its enough to do it in every corner.

As soon, as you Z is level and you have taped again. Start the print and grab the Z-Spindle at the lower end, right after the print starts. Turn it a few klicks until you see a little transparent film.

Also, I configured netfab to print the bottom with low speed... helps a lot.

I also printed a Z-adjuster from thingyverse... but this won't help you until something sticks :twisted:

cheers,

Micha

[joergen 2]

It is PLA. I ordered ABS but was only sent PLA by mistake so that is all I have. Will try raising the bed further tomorrow when I make another attempt (and see if anyone else has any ideas).

as Dave said below, as long as you bed is level (nozzle-bed distance is the same in all 4 corners), you can adjust the first layer by manually turning the z-axis once the print has started.

[raymie 0]

Not had a chance to try again yesterday, other things came up but will try the suggestions asap

[raymie 0]

ok, progress

I tried two things at the same time

- removed the cooling fan from the print head (I think it was cooling down the plastic as it left the nozzle)

- raise the bed slightly as the print starts (in fact I dig into the blue tape).

Managed to now print something, hurrah, ok it;s only the square tube sample but it at least looks like a square tube so it's now printing something ..... hurrah

[ddurant 0]

- removed the cooling fan from the print head (I think it was cooling down the plastic as it left the nozzle)

It's job is to cool the plastic!!!

I would definitely add that back on. It will become really important once you get going..

 

- raise the bed slightly as the print starts (in fact I dig into the blue tape)

It's difficult to get things just right.. Digging into the tape means the platform is too high.

Have patience, try one small thing at a time and you'll get it right. Once you get it right, you'll spend a lot more time printing and less time messing with it..

[c-ernst 1]

Blue tape tends to have a wax on it... try cleaning the tape with alchol or windex. I use windex and works great without the smell. In some cases it makes it so sticky I can't get the pieces off the bed with out pull up the tape.

[mastory 44]

I'm pretty new here and to printing, but I have found 2 thicknesses of copy paper as a feeler gauge between the nozzle and the tape to work pretty well. That's about .008" or .16mm or .2mm

Matt