Blob of Death

[MosquitoWrangler 0]

Hi All,

 

I'm rather new to 3D printing, but recently our malaria fighting, funds limited) science project received a very generous donation of a brand new Ultimaker 2+ for me to make functional parts for the project.

 

I had very little trouble with the roll of silver PLA it came with, until one day my remaining roll was "lifted" but parties unknown (snipped off exactly where at the entrance to the feeder after I had finished a print!). Anyway I needed to develop more parts quickly. My next part had modules that needed to be clear, vapour smoothable and able to survive going through a washing machine, so I ordered some eSun ABS. I also ordered some clear TPU while I was about it.

 

From the start I have had problems with bed adhesion, jammed nozzles and most often the blob of death forming around the nozzle.  I have done numerous cold/atomic pulls. Which sort of helped, but bed adhesion was still a problem. I even bought a creality magnetic mat (which helped until warping lifted the mat from the magnet. I'm getting really desperate and really need to get a move on with these parts for both the project and my PhD. Can anybody give me some guidance?

 

Is the Ultimaker 2+ able to print eSun ABS and TPU (I've had more luck with the TPU but still all prints have failed). Last week while trying to see if the problem is with settings in Cura I got a message claiming my current extruder can't handle a 1.75mm fillament (all I have). is this really true? I've had one prototype print fine but for the warping, so I know it can extrude it.

 

Any advice is welcomed

 

Regards

Oliver

[Smithy 1,144]

50 minutes ago, MosquitoWrangler said:

Is the Ultimaker 2+ able to print eSun ABS and TPU (I've had more luck with the TPU but still all prints have failed). Last week while trying to see if the problem is with settings in Cura I got a message claiming my current extruder can't handle a 1.75mm fillament (all I have). is this really true? I've had one prototype print fine but for the warping, so I know it can extrude it.

Ultimaker printers are made for 2.85mm filament, so out of the box and without replacing some parts it is not possible to print with 1.75mm filament. It is not only the feeder, which could work if set a high tension, but also the Bowden tube and the hot end itself is too big for 1.75. The problem can be, that hot melted material climbs up in the hot end and blocks and clogs there everything.

 

It can work if you have luck, but as you see you have a lot of problems. So buy the filament you need 2.85 and you should be fine.

[MosquitoWrangler 0]

Thanks so much, Smithy.

 

You have put my mind more at ease. I guess the adage that experience is expensive is true. Guess my friend is about to get an unexpected donation of 6 rolls of 1.75mm filament.

 

Can you suggest a decent filament for the budget constricted?  

[gr5 2,167]

It's always a little strange when people spend thousands of dollars on a printer but don't want to spend an extra $10 for premium filament.  Anyway, it helps to know what country you are in if you want filament recommendations.

 

eSun is not as good as premium filaments but still quite good.  From China.  In the USA I would go to printedSolid.com.  They have specials all the time and they know filament better than most people.  The head of printedSolid could lecture for an hour on filament suppliers and the industry and what's good and what is not.

 

Realize that 3rd party filaments might not fit nicely on the back of your printer so you might have to put it on the floor (which is what I usually do).  Especially if you are buying 3 or 5kg spools.

[MosquitoWrangler 0]

Hi gr5

 

Yes, I completely understand where you are coming from regarding people not wanting to spring for a good filament. In my case, the printer was a donation. Such a nice printer! I then splurged on the eSun on the recommendation of a friend who said he had never had a problem. Hence I'm lighter in the pocket, and on a student budget (wimper)! Lucky friend is about to get a load of esun filament that I now find surplus to my needs.

 

Thanks for the printedSolid.com steer. I have actually just got off the line with an Ultimaker preferred supplier here in South Africa (BuildVolume.co.za), and I'm placing an order. They only had Verbatim 2.85mm that was in clear (needed for this machine I'm prototyping), but plan to buy Ultimaker filament for the other colours. Still struggling to find clear TPU in the 2.85mm. If I don't come right I will try printedSolid.com.

 

Yes I did notice that about the filament not fitting on the back of the printer, so I taken a large plastic trunk with a weather seal, drilled some holes in the sides to mount some PVC pipe through it on which I fitted the spools. The filament feeds through little holes and I have filled the base with dried silica gel (which we have a lot of when you work with mosquitoes). It works quite well and the printer can even fit on top of it when I'm pushed for space (like when in Covid-19 lock-down in a one room apartment).

Regarding your putting the spools on the floor, do you run your filament through a cloth or sponge to removed dust?

 

Regards

Oliver

[gr5 2,167]

You don't need to keep PLA dry but this will help a lot with many other filaments.

 

Printing clear is tricky if you want it very clear.  It's possible.  One trick is to line up the infill with the sides (rotate infill by another 45 degrees).  Also print solid infill.  Also layer height matters and flow% and temperature (some clear materials get foggy if temp is wrong).

 

eSun sells 2.85mm filament as well.  Every seller that sells one size, sells the other size.

[MosquitoWrangler 0]

Thanks for the suggestions on improving clarity, I greatly appreciate it. Sheesh, I definitely have a lot to learn. Like changing my mental picture of a hot end/nozzle essentially acting like an icing piping bag.

 

Fortunately I can get away with a "frosted/foggy" look, and in fact it might be better for a more diffused light sourcing to cast the mosquitoes into silhouette for the benefit of the electronic components of this machine I'm developing. (I'll post a picture once it's built).

 

Thanks again, and for the prompt replies too.