I have had problems getting consistent printing using the same gcode files–the models I am printing rely on gaps between colors as I couldn’t reliably get black lines to print–and there is wide variance in the gap from perfect up to no separation at all. I am attaching examples of the variety of the prints. I am printing with PLA, on a textured PEI plate, no change in conditions. the spools of PLA are dried and kept in a highly-dessicated CFS system (highest humidity level <10% max). The spools used are the same for all prints. I generally wipe the build plate with IPA, and often wash with soap & water. Print conditions include very slow printing for the first 5 levels.
What do I need to do to get consistent printing? Is this a build plate issue, or why does the same gcode print inconsistently?
Sorry to pepper you with even more questions. This is a good topic. You seem to be doing everything right. What could the missing variable be?
Are these prints made in a similar time frame or is this degradation over time?
As I chased problems like this, I was surprised to find that adhesion had more to do with first layer than bed-mesh. have you tried a lite adhesive? IMHO they are all too thick coming out of the bottle.
Under the calibration tab, I didn’t have anything enabled (no bed level, belt tension, etc). I occasionally have the filament calibration tabs clicked (PA, etc) but usually not. I must admit that I often uncheck “calibration” when I pull up a stored file to print (where you can select CFS and calibration check boxes). I am trying another print with the “bed level” under calibration checked (although would that not only be if you run the calibration?). I have washed (with dish soap) and carefully dried the slightly textured PEI plate before this print, which I have done after every several prints. ? if needed or extra step? I’m not sure.
What would I need to make sure is enabled to check the bed mesh before printing, is it that tab under calibration? and does it need to be selected before every print? Or is there a different setting?
I have dried the filament previously, and they are kept in CFS units with additional desiccant stuff in there–both in bins in the back (not the below-spool bins) as well as metal containers within each spool (like for cinnamon sugar for toast ). The CFS humidity readings are all below 10. I am using the same spools of filament through all of these prints with the exception of black, but that usually isn’t involved until level 5… (I go through more black filament). So the filament should hopefully not be an issue.
I bought a toaster oven to dry the aluminum gel desiccant that I use to keep things dry. After my wife found beads of the desiccant all over the oven, I had to find a different way to dry it
These are prints over time. But the filament is stored in CFS units with tons of desicant in them and the humidity level doesn’t exceed 10…
I hesitate to use glue stick for these small prints. I’m trying to keep the slight sparkle effect that the build plate causes, and that would be wiped out by at least the glue stick I use to keep the priming tower from breaking loose from the plate…
I haven’t made any settings in first layer thickness or anything there (think it is 0.2) although I have slowed the print speed & infill to 20 mm/sec and slowed down to 20% the print and infill speed for layers 2-5 as well, thinking that faster print speed = lesser print quality for these small items (40-50 mm or so). I must admit I am not a first layer expert. Some of the individual items in a print (I usually am able to do 20-60 depending on which one else the machine crashes ) have small parts that don’t adhere well–some prints are better than others, so first layer may be the culprit…
Automatic Calibration vs semi-manual filament calibration. Probably not the issue here, but… There is the per print calibration. I think that is the one you are referring to.
If you change filament types, and you do not have a fine tuned filament profile, these can be helpful. Also, If you monitor your print in Fluidd, you can use these values to fine tune a filament profile.
That can be useful in general, but it doesn’t look like the issue you are facing.
The other calibration is more mechanical. over time Belt tension and Input shaping drift and could contribute to what you are seeing:
Honestly, I don’t run these on a schedule. I run them “as needed”. If I move the printer (even just bump into it enough to move) or when I’m about to attempt a precision print. I usually run an auto level at the start of the day, but I use the one in the print menu (the “calibrate check box”) That one always does bed leveling and what ever else you have checked in the Print Settings menu.
Sounds like you are totally on top of filament drying. First layer thickness can affect the geometry (I see these as geometry errors) but it would be consistent across prints.
Since these are “over time”, a couple of other things come to mind. Print plates wear out. I’m, with you on the glue. I hate the way it ruins the etched patterns you can get from some print plates. Those patterns look cool, but they are so delicate. Even clear cote will take out some of them. You might try sacrificing the pattern with a little thinned glue on a couple of prints just to test and see if your plate is ageing and allowing some slip.
The other one is print head wear. Something to be aware of, but I don’t think it would cause these kinds of off-sets between the colors.
). The CFS humidity readings are all below 10. I am using the same spools of filament through all of these prints with the exception of black, but that usually isn’t involved until level 5… (I go through more black filament). So the filament should hopefully not be an issue.
) have small parts that don’t adhere well–some prints are better than others, so first layer may be the culprit…
