Print not sticking

Ender Series
1

New to 3D printing, but not technology.

Bought a used ender 3, early version, so I

  • upgraded firmware
  • replaced broken extrusion mechanism with OEM upgrade
  • Added 2nd Z axis drive with OEM upgrade
  • Replaced leveling springs
  • new OEM PLA
  • Checked bed for warpage, none
  • Check bed level with feeler gauge, .2 & .17 mm
  • cleaned surface with dish soap and only handle by the edges
  • tried glue stick and hairspray
  • nozzle temp 200, bed temp 50, I have tried +/- 10 on both of those numbers

Everything I try to print fails to stick on the first pass. Most of the time the 2 vertical passes will stick, but not always, and as soon as it moves side to side, it breaks loose. This older model does not have the auto level feature, and the Z offset seems to set itself, I can’t dial in a number as I have seen some do on youtube.

I was wondering with the new stepper added to Z, if I need to check the steps/mm rate? It seems to raise and lower equally, and the X axis bar is level every time I measure it when it stops.

Pretty much out of ideas.

Thanks

2

Level the bed with a piece of paper, not feeler gauge. My guess is your zoffset is too high.

Also, what type of bed? I use bed temps of 65-70 for pla.

3

Z-offset not correct… bed temp of 50 is Ok, I never print PLA on a higher bed temperature! Check bed level with piece of paper as suggested…

On Youtube you can find tutorials from a guy called CHEP. His videos helped me a lot when I started 3D printing with a Ender 3 Pro.

4

Chep was my inspiration, but as a professional mechanic I trust a feeler gauge more than paper and have tried several different heights, the bed material is the stock creality

5

… 99,99% of the people who have to manualy adjust the bed use a piece of paper to do the job, only the proffesionals think they know better and try to reinvent the wheel… Drop the feeler gauge, use the paper :wink:

CHEP made a gcode-file for the ender 3, with that you could easily adjust the bed… another file was to print squares so you could easily see which edge of the bed needs adjusting a little more…