jeremy-gillick 0 Posted April 23, 2014 in Rats Nest A couple nights ago I set the machine to print a custom model, watched the first 30 minutes of printing and went to bed. In the morning it seems that the printer had printed the first 12mm correctly and then at some point the layers stopped sticking (?) and built a rats nest of filament. Then I changed the settings to print slower and the same thing occurred. Unfortunately this seems to happen after an hour or so of printing, so I haven't been able to stay and watch it to that point. The first print the temperature was 210 degrees and the second print was at 215. Both times was with a custom profile printing at 0.085 mm/layer. Next I'm going to try using the stock "Normal quality print" option, as a baseline. Any ideas on why this is happening? From what I've read it sounds like it could be underextrusion, but I would think slower and hotter would have helped that. This is also a temperature that I've printed everything else at. What I was trying to print The rats nest What printed, with the rats nest removed The printing profile [profile]layer_height = 0.085wall_thickness = 0.4retraction_enable = Truesolid_layer_thickness = 0.5fill_density = 15nozzle_size = 0.4print_speed = 50print_temperature = 220print_temperature2 = 0print_temperature3 = 0print_temperature4 = 0print_bed_temperature = 70support = Noneplatform_adhesion = Nonesupport_dual_extrusion = Bothwipe_tower = Falsewipe_tower_volume = 15ooze_shield = Falsefilament_diameter = 2.85filament_diameter2 = 0filament_diameter3 = 0filament_diameter4 = 0filament_flow = 100.0retraction_speed = 40.0retraction_amount = 4.5retraction_dual_amount = 16.5retraction_min_travel = 1.5retraction_combing = Trueretraction_minimal_extrusion = 0.02retraction_hop = 0.0bottom_thickness = 0.3object_sink = 0.0overlap_dual = 0.15travel_speed = 150.0bottom_layer_speed = 20infill_speed = 60inset0_speed = 0.0insetx_speed = 0.0cool_min_layer_time = 5fan_enabled = Trueskirt_line_count = 2skirt_gap = 3.0skirt_minimal_length = 150.0fan_full_height = 0.5fan_speed = 100fan_speed_max = 100cool_min_feedrate = 10cool_head_lift = Falsesolid_top = Truesolid_bottom = Truefill_overlap = 15support_type = Gridsupport_angle = 60support_fill_rate = 15support_xy_distance = 0.7support_z_distance = 0.15spiralize = Falsebrim_line_count = 20raft_margin = 5raft_line_spacing = 1.0raft_base_thickness = 0.3raft_base_linewidth = 0.7raft_interface_thickness = 0.2raft_interface_linewidth = 0.2fix_horrible_union_all_type_a = Truefix_horrible_union_all_type_b = Falsefix_horrible_use_open_bits = Falsefix_horrible_extensive_stitching = Falseplugin_config = object_center_x = -1object_center_y = -1[alterations]start.gcode = ;Sliced at: {day} {date} {time} ;Basic settings: Layer height: {layer_height} Walls: {wall_thickness} Fill: {fill_density} ;Print time: {print_time} ;Filament used: {filament_amount}m {filament_weight}g ;Filament cost: {filament_cost} ;M190 S{print_bed_temperature} ;Uncomment to add your own bed temperature line ;M109 S{print_temperature} ;Uncomment to add your own temperature line G21 ;metric values G90 ;absolute positioning M82 ;set extruder to absolute mode M107 ;start with the fan off G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops G28 Z0 ;move Z to min endstops G1 Z15.0 F{travel_speed} ;move the platform down 15mm G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length G1 F200 E3 ;extrude 3mm of feed stock G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length again G1 F{travel_speed} ;Put printing message on LCD screen M117 Printing...end.gcode = ;End GCode M104 S0 ;extruder heater off M140 S0 ;heated bed heater off (if you have it) G91 ;relative positioning G1 E-1 F300 ;retract the filament a bit before lifting the nozzle, to release some of the pressure G1 Z+0.5 E-5 X-20 Y-20 F{travel_speed} ;move Z up a bit and retract filament even more G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops, so the head is out of the way M84 ;steppers off G90 ;absolute positioningstart2.gcode = ;Sliced at: {day} {date} {time} ;Basic settings: Layer height: {layer_height} Walls: {wall_thickness} Fill: {fill_density} ;Print time: {print_time} ;Filament used: {filament_amount}m {filament_weight}g ;Filament cost: {filament_cost} ;M190 S{print_bed_temperature} ;Uncomment to add your own bed temperature line ;M104 S{print_temperature} ;Uncomment to add your own temperature line ;M109 T1 S{print_temperature2} ;Uncomment to add your own temperature line ;M109 T0 S{print_temperature} ;Uncomment to add your own temperature line G21 ;metric values G90 ;absolute positioning M107 ;start with the fan off G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops G28 Z0 ;move Z to min endstops G1 Z15.0 F{travel_speed} ;move the platform down 15mm T1 ;Switch to the 2nd extruder G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length G1 F200 E10 ;extrude 10mm of feed stock G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length again G1 F200 E-{retraction_dual_amount} T0 ;Switch to the first extruder G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length G1 F200 E10 ;extrude 10mm of feed stock G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length again G1 F{travel_speed} ;Put printing message on LCD screen M117 Printing...end2.gcode = ;End GCode M104 T0 S0 ;extruder heater off M104 T1 S0 ;extruder heater off M140 S0 ;heated bed heater off (if you have it) G91 ;relative positioning G1 E-1 F300 ;retract the filament a bit before lifting the nozzle, to release some of the pressure G1 Z+0.5 E-5 X-20 Y-20 F{travel_speed} ;move Z up a bit and retract filament even more G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops, so the head is out of the way M84 ;steppers off G90 ;absolute positioningsupport_start.gcode = support_end.gcode = cool_start.gcode = cool_end.gcode = replace.csv = switchextruder.gcode = ;Switch between the current extruder and the next extruder, when printing with multiple extruders. G92 E0 G1 E-36 F5000 G92 E0 T{extruder} G1 X{new_x} Y{new_y} Z{new_z} F{travel_speed} G1 E36 F5000 G92 E0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gr5 897 Posted April 23, 2014 in Rats Nest It's probably skipping part of your model. Look at the model in cura layer view carefully - especially starting where the problem occurs. Perhaps a wall is too thin to print. Cura will print down to .4, .6 or .8mm wall thickness only. Not sure why there are different limits at different times but the nozzle hole width is .4mm so obviously no thinner than that. Also look at the part in xray mode - anything the color red is a potential problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeremy-gillick 0 Posted April 23, 2014 in Rats Nest Great advice, I think I found the problem: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gothampixel 10 Posted April 23, 2014 in Rats Nest I find it's a good practice to run everything you print through NetFabb first. Download the free version and run it through the steps for repairing the part, apply and export it out. Now Import that file into Cura. http://www.netfabb.com/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeremy-gillick 0 Posted April 25, 2014 in Rats Nest Good news. After a combination of the x-ray tool and netfabb, I have a perfect print! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ian 32 Posted April 25, 2014 in Rats Nest very nice printed model ! Another little tip is.. I find great success in going into the expert settings in Cura and choosing from the Combine Options A. David really did a nice job of this function and it saves my bacon all the time. Ian :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonnybischof 58 Posted April 25, 2014 in Rats Nest This is a typical problem with Sketchup... After some time I learned how to prevent these red surfaces (inside planes or double planes at the same place) already while modelling. Selecting the whole model and using the "smooth edges" command (I don't know if that's translated correctly, I'm using the german version. See screenshot below) will reveal all "double planes" which occur mostly when you're doing very small surfaces. The lines will not disappear if there are double surfaces. By the way, this smoothing tool doesn't change any geometry, it just makes lines between surfaces disappear, if the angle between the surfaces is less than the angle specified (I leave this at 20°). I prefer making a clean model over using the "patch-up" tools, because these don't always work as intended. For example, I'm doing parts right now which will have some structures that are entirely enclosed within the part, because I added supports which make it print better, but lead to that effect. Cura will just ignore these inside structures with "fix horrible" activated. But the structures are necessary because you're supposed to remove the support after printing and then they won't be inside structures anymore... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeremy-gillick 0 Posted April 25, 2014 in Rats Nest Another little tip is.. I find great success in going into the expert settings in Cura and choosing from the Combine Options A. Selecting the whole model and using the "smooth edges" command (I don't know if that's translated correctly, I'm using the german version. See screenshot below) will reveal all "double planes" which occur mostly when you're doing very small surfaces. The lines will not disappear if there are double surfaces. I was wondering what those options were. I'll try those with my model to see. The model currently consists of 3 components, so that I can edit the sides and the base apart from the structure. To solve it yesterday, I exploded all components and removed a bunch of the lines in between them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeremy-gillick 0 Posted April 25, 2014 in Rats Nest NICE MODEL! Please post it to thingiverse Posted: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:310472 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites