1 Topic by fragmen52 (edited by fragmen52 2016-08-29 20:16:14)

  • fragmen52
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Topic: PLA coming out way to thin

I've had my filastruder and winder sins last December and have worked with it on and off sins then.  I built it, didn't touch it for a while, then made the included abs and it went well and now a few months from that I tried making pla.  I extruded at 180 for a little bit to purge any remaining abs and it was very thins so I started going down 5-10 degrees at a time until I go to a 100 at with point the motor slowed to a stop and I turned it off, the max width I go was 2mm when it stalled but before that a 110 it was 1.2.  the dehumidifier in the closets of my basement where running on high and continues, they said 40% humidity(in the closet) but my throat felt like it was lower(in the main basement).

the barrel was full and had a the funnel section of a water bottle filled too.  The pellets are from filabot and I have notice that they are round and maybe a little bigger than the abs pellets around 3-4mm but the page says 5mm is the max so they are in spec.

no fan

the tower came first when it was clamped nozzle down to my desk, the nozzle was about a foot from the ground
http://imgur.com/a/tyusz

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2 Reply by elmoret

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Re: PLA coming out way to thin

Two things:

1.) 100C seems really, really cool for PLA. I haven't heard of anyone able to extrude at less than 145C or so. 150C is typical.... this is 4043D. What kind of PLA pellets do you have?

2.) Just a 40% relative humidity environment isn't dry enough for PLA. The recommended parameter is -40F dew point air, which works out to less than 1% relative humidity at normal room temperatures. Most folks use a food dehydrator to achieve this.

You may also need to drill out the nozzle slightly. Stock they're slightly undersize (1.6mm), as some polymers exhibit die swell, and expand once they leave the nozzle. Others (like PLA) shrink/stretch as the leave the nozzle. It then isn't possible to do one size fits all, so the nozzle is a bit undersize since it is easier to drill out a small hole than to undrill a too-big hole.

Some good reading here too:

http://www.soliforum.com/forum/23/diy-f … materials/

there's 3-4 PLA threads.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

3 Reply by fragmen52

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Re: PLA coming out way to thin

4043D is what filabot says it is, the thermistor could just be reporting the wrong temp.  the humidity is lower in the main section of the basement and they where only running at full for an hour or 2, so I can get the humidity lower(winter will help).  might try some other popular pellets before I resort to drilling.

4 Reply by elmoret

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Re: PLA coming out way to thin

You cannot get the moisture content of PLA low enough in open air - you need something like a food dehydrator.

4043D is very popular, the PLA threads in the previous like all had 4043D success.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

5 Reply by Barafu Albino

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Re: PLA coming out way to thin

All printers I've seen work well with undersized filament up to 1.2mm. All you need is to type in real value into your slicer.

6 Reply by richh001 (edited by richh001 2016-09-03 20:07:29)

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Re: PLA coming out way to thin

I dry my plastic in a food dehydrator in the winter time, I can get the house down to 20% humidity, I then store the plastic in pasta jars with silica gel, and vacuum seal the jar with a vacuum pump (http://www.pump-n-seal.com/info.htm)

Microwave drying works too, but be really careful.

7 Reply by xXxOlivierxXx

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Re: PLA coming out way to thin

elmoret wrote:

1.) 100C seems really, really cool for PLA. I haven't heard of anyone able to extrude at less than 145C or so. 150C is typical.... this is 4043D. What kind of PLA pellets do you have?

My 2 cents:
I have been testing making PLA filament with Natureworks 4043 pellets and the best extrusion temperature I have found is 140° degrees, If I try adding 5 or more degrees, the filament starts bubbling

8 Reply by elmoret

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Re: PLA coming out way to thin

Bubbling generally means there's moisture in the pellets.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

9 Reply by richh001

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Re: PLA coming out way to thin

I extrude at 160-165 C for 2.85 mm
I use 2 stacked 3 inch fans.
The fan nearest the nozzle is PWM speed controlled.