Solved Tips for fixing Clumping...

We are extremely new to this stuff. We bought the 3d printer for my son for christmas. My son designed a hamster igloo for his hamster and we are trying to print the roof. The thin layer sticks well to the bed but once it begins extruding more PLA it begins to clump.

-Automatic Bed Leveling on
- PLA Plastic
- Firm Hairspray sprayed on bed.

Any tips would be awesome!

 

it really starts to have a problem... when it gets to the dark blue.

 

I do believe it's a model specific problem as some of the basic models work ok...
Here is a link to a video ... (might be low quality)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ESdFx4TCqTZkRfcW04OXBBLVU/view?usp=sharing

 

yep... a picture of the actual failed print would definitely help.

 

Here is the part that messed up. The inside went smooth, the outside messes up every time. (4 times)

 

Start with some calibration objects. You gotta learn to crawl before you walk before you run. Otherwise you start to run and face plant and have no experience to know why.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:24238

 

it really looks like you're next few layers have a nasty overhang that isn't supported. I could be wrong...

 

We started with calibration objects. Then we picked a few objects from thingiverse. Other then some issues trying to get the filament to stick to the bed, they have all printed well. The firm hairspray has worked well.

Don, can you be more specific. Where do you see the unsupported overhang? Do you have suggestions on how to fix it? Make it printable?

 

Do you have support enabled? Also your first layer might be a little too low

 

I do have support enabled. (do you mean below the workspace?) -- What do you mean too low?

 

the moment your upside-down dome starts to curve away from the bed, you're in trouble. You're basically asking the filament to hold it's position in mid-air.

 

I would think you'd be better off printing the entire dome right-side up.

 

I purchased simplify3d... do you think this might help?

 

it will. The supports are editable. They can be moved, added, deleted etc. One other thing that occurred to me. Even if the angle doesn't seem that bad, all filament is susceptible to warping. It can curl irregularly and you may have had a little of that going on as well.

 

what temps. do you recommend for the extruder and bed, should I run a fan?

 

you definitely want to cool PLA. You'll want to be in the 200 degree neighborhood for the extruder give or take and 70ish for the bed. Did you design those parts yourself?

 

yes, they were designed by my son and I in TinkerCad. (We're newbies) We designed and printed the base already.

It's supposed to look like this when we are finished.

 

I just found your video and you're definitely printing in mid air. Because you have those clips designed into the top, flipping it over to print it isn't an option. The down-side of support structure is it isn't pretty to remove and can leave your finished product un-pretty as well. If you were able to print it right-side-up, you'd at least have the support structures on the inside. Only the hamster would see the scars