Honestly, I’m starting to feel like giving up in my struggle with the K1C. From the beginning, I’ve had issues with achieving an even and stable first layer. Sometimes it prints well, but other times the quality is completely unsatisfactory. I’ve tried almost everything.
I’ve practically rebuilt the printer from scratch—I replaced the hotend with a 50mm³/s flow model suitable for PLA, and also swapped the entire bed mounting system for an adjustable version. Bed leveling measurements show that at 100°C, I get a level difference of around 0.26 mm, and at 65°C, it’s 0.16 mm. Yet, one print comes out fine, and the next one is a disaster. The nozzle is sometimes too high or too low.
I checked the tension on the X/Y belts, which are set correctly, and also adjusted the Z-axis belt. I’ve tried various slicers and firmware versions (Orca 2.1.0, 2.2.0, PrusaSlicer, Cura, Creality), but none of them have made a significant difference.
For comparison, I also have a second K1C, which, despite never being adjusted, holds a leveling accuracy of 0.7 mm, and its first layers print perfectly.
Additionally, I ran the PTFE tube through the top of the printer to prevent any jams or tension. I disassembled and cleaned the extruder and slightly loosened the gears.
Another issue I noticed is that when printing, for example, a 50x50 mm square, the first 5–8 mm isn’t printed, even though the nozzle is clean and there are no clogs.
In summary, the problem is the instability of the first layer, despite numerous modifications and maintenance efforts, making it impossible to achieve consistent results.
I’ll add that support keeps sending me useless YouTube videos that are supposed to help, but they don’t understand that I’ve done all of this a million times already. I have a perfectly leveled bed, and the z-offset adjustment works for one print, but not for the other.
