PLA Prints keep snagging...

Hey everyone, when printing things with my PLA only printer and with the filament that comes with it, I'm getting really ugly results. I'm trying to print the pirate ship from thingiversehttp://www.thingiverse.com/thing:12856 as my first print, but it keep snagging. Do I need tape or what? It seemed to snag at about the same place, though not exactly. I think that the problem is that I have really bad starts to prints, it comes out all stringy and doesn't provide a good base, although I'm probable wrong. Also, what temperature should I be printing at, 190 or 220? Thanks for the help, you guys are great.

 

PLA-filament with 180 or a bit higher (see the get startet guide)

show a picture of your print, from the slicer no one can tell you what's wrong

 

Ill try it with a lower temperature as you said, and report back with pics.

 

Alright, I tried it that way with tape and it worked! One question, what was going on at the bottom? It is worse than it looks, I had trimmed it before.

 

If this is the bottom, your z-level is too high. I got very good results if my z height is 0.1 -0.15mm initially. You then put that value to your slicer as "first layer thickness" (don't remember the right term, using Cura anyway) and you should be good to go.

 

I did what you said, and the problem seems to be getting worse, but I don't think that it was your instructions that did it. Now nothing comes out of the extruder. None of it sticks to the tape and when i does, it stays connected and nothing gets done. How should I maintain the extruder when hot, because it extrudes a bit of filament then. I have had only one print since I got the printer, the one I chowed yo.

 

What temperature are you using right now? I usually print PLA with 200. And how do you prepare the bed surface? I use normal painters tape with a coat of glue stick and let it dry for a while. Your first layer should not be round layed down but rather flat, slightly pressed to the surface.

Gesendet von meinem Nexus 5 mit Tapatalk

 

I was using 190, but I'll try it with 200. I'll try the bed surface too. Would you mind telling me how I can customize my first layer like that? Thanks.

 

First prepare the bed with tape+glue or glass+hairspray so that you don't need to add more height to the bed, then,
Z-height is the key. You can try to level the nozzle by taking a sheet of paper, maybe fold it once. Then adjust the nozzle so that the paper just slides through leaving just a slight trace on the paper. If you can measure, try to get it to 0.1-0.15mm. When adjusting, once you turn the screw, move it up and back home, then measure again.

You can check the orientation of you Z-endstop. The discussion is here: http://forums.robo3dprinter.com/index.php?threads/stop-throwing-your-nuts.1210/ If it's oriented the wrong way, your z-endstop readings may not be consistent.

Excessive discussion about the Z-height is here: http://forums.robo3dprinter.com/index.php?threads/my-print-is-not-sticking.1171/ but you will find a ton of other threads about this topic.

 

The problems described in the second link are almost exactly what I am having trouble with. How do I change the Z-height initially though? It would be great if there were step by step instructions.

 

Melody Bliss created a wonderfully consolidated FAQ: http://melodybliss.org/robo3d/
The z-stop issue is right at the top. In essence, the long screw right above the endstop controls your nozzel height. Clockwise -> higher, anticlockwise -> lower. Only adjust in 1/8 or 1/4 turns.

 

Ive been printing with my dad but whenever we want to print an object the filament(PLA) curves up so when it touches the printing pad it doesn't stick so by the time we cancel the job it is a big mess. please help me

 

Billy you're still too high. Lower your nozzle.

 

thanks mike

 

1. Problem is REPETIER
2. SOLUTION switch to CURA
3. Watch this video

Have a happy printing

 

tony you still look just a tiny bit too high. You could stand to go down just a bit.

 

what do u mean ?

 

your print head should be pressing the filament into the tape. Yours looks like it's just barely doing it. It should be about half the thickness that I'm seeing. You're realy close but a tall narrow print would probably fail at that height.

 

Nop. Its all right and dandy.
Cura setup to print at 0.3 first layer height, and thats what it is. 0.3+what ever end stop for Z considers as 0.
I dont want to press filament into the bed, it will make it incorrect diameter and fill part will overfill causing nozzle to grind agains the surface when printing second layer.

Everything is working fine.

 

well ok but i'm just warning you you could do with a little more adhesion. This is why there's an option for first layer width. If you start running into taller prints popping off, it's probably too high.