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Printing small objects?

Discussion in 'Troubleshooting' started by Kingbob, Sep 26, 2014.

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  1. Kingbob

    Kingbob Active Member

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    Does anyone have any tips for printing small objects?

    I'm using an E3D extruder with a 0.25mm nozzle, printing ABS at 260C, bed temp 95C, 0.1mm layer height. I'm trying to print a small part for a model (pic below). The thin part of the ring is 1mm wide, so should be perfectly capable of being printed with a 0.25 nozzle.

    But the end result is rubbish. Extremely rough, and generally crap looking. I did trying slowing it down to 0.75 print speed, but then had issues with extrusion.

    Any tips?

    Thanks.

    [​IMG]
     
    #1 Kingbob, Sep 26, 2014
  2. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Hmm, wild guess--infill to 100% maybe?
    Tuning for that layer size is a pain. You have to crank the print movement speeds down, a lot, as well as fiddle with extrusion %. @tesseract might have some hints as well, I know he has experimented with 'wee bits' :)
     
    #2 mark tomlinson, Sep 26, 2014
  3. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    I think the hardest part will be the actual extrusion the viscosity of the melted filament could be an issue. You may find that alternate materials may print better since very few filaments use the exact same formula. The smallest I did was 2mm sphere 100 of them but I was using the standard .4 nozzle kept every thing on the slower side but not to any extreme at all It printed at fairly normal specs. IN that print I actually made color changes(ie filament swaps 5 times) ....they were for Xmas decorations on a small printed Xmas tree. Here are my pics of those so it can be done even with the standard nozzle.
    spheres100array.jpg Now this was all in PLA but I think the Key is to get the first layer done at the perfect height on a properly prepared bed surface. In my case it was simply hairspray and no heat on the bed but with ABS that will be different. spherescloseup.jpg
     
    #3 tesseract, Sep 26, 2014
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  4. Kingbob

    Kingbob Active Member

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    Damn thats not bad with 0.4mm!

    I'm gonna do some experimenting with infill amounts, see if its better when printed as a solid.
     
    #4 Kingbob, Sep 26, 2014
  5. Kingbob

    Kingbob Active Member

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    OK heres a question, when i set the nozzle size in Mattercontrol to 0.25mm, does it automatically adjust the extrusion speed to match the reduced width?
    Or is it trying to force the same amount of plastic out as it was with a 0.4mm nozzle?
     
    #5 Kingbob, Sep 26, 2014
  6. Kingbob

    Kingbob Active Member

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    Well crap. I went to swap the 0.4mm nozzle in to print something larger, and the 0.25 sheared off at the base of the block. Thats me out of action for a couple of weeks until i can get a replacement :(
     
    #6 Kingbob, Sep 27, 2014
  7. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Once it knows the nozzle size it (the slicer) should adjust its math to handle it.
    If you go with finer resolution (i.e. smaller layers) you need to slow down the print speeds and thenyou also will likely need to adjust the extrusion rate.
     
    #7 mark tomlinson, Sep 27, 2014
  8. Kingbob

    Kingbob Active Member

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    Since the nozzle was sheared inside the block, i couldnt get it out, and to make it worse the heatbreak was stuck as well. Tried freezing it, but i ended up doing too much damage to the thread to make it useable. So since i needed a new nozzle, block, and heatbreak, i figured i might as well just get a metal parts set for an E3D V6 instead of the V5 it was, and go with that. And to save myself from it possibly happening again, i ordered 2 full V6's as well.

    Now i have 3x V6's, with 0.25mm, 0.4, and a 0.8mm nozzle as well. Makes swapping out easier!
     
    #8 Kingbob, Oct 17, 2014
  9. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    I added the screw in thermistors so it makes my set up really nice and quick as well
     
    #9 tesseract, Oct 17, 2014
  10. Peter Krska

    Peter Krska Active Member

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    One tip I have is to print the part on top of another. If you try to print it straight off the bed, it's difficult. But if it's a part of a larger print, the detailed part will print nicely.

    Also trying different orientation will produce different results. Try angling the part. It should also strengthen the part depending on the way the lines are going across the part.

    For instance, if you create a ship, the bottom will print a broad base (the hull), then it will print the detailed masts and cabin with much detail if there. You can the separate your part from the model either by cutting it out or heating the part and cutting it out.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk in Canada
     
    #10 Peter Krska, Oct 17, 2014
  11. Kingbob

    Kingbob Active Member

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    Yeah, i mean i have 3 complete extruders. Heater, thermistor, everything. I used a connector for the 4 wires so its just 2 screws, and 1 plug to swap out. Also means if i have a failure, such as a heater cartridge, i can still use another head.
     
    #11 Kingbob, Oct 17, 2014
  12. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    I understand I have 5 extruder ready to go I have duals setup with bowden and I made a special x carriage so it is an even easier swap
     
    #12 tesseract, Oct 18, 2014
  13. Mikethinks

    Mikethinks Active Member

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    Wish I had multiple extruders...especially a smaller nozzle for little stuff! Here is a pic of one of my army of MicroOctopus minions

    MICROpus.png
     
    #13 Mikethinks, Oct 18, 2014
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  14. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    That is pretty darn good considering the size.
     
    #14 mark tomlinson, Oct 18, 2014
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