1 Topic by newq

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Topic: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

I received my printer two days ago and have already printed a lot of things. I had readjust my bed and little stuff like that and I can get "okayish"prints out of my Solidoodle now.

It still has massive problems with laying down thin lines of plastic (think iPhone Bumper) or when printing support.

I attached a picture of the obligatory Yoda where you can see what I mean.

I print in PLA at 175 degree (extruder set to 180 because of the "cold extrusion prevented" thing I get from repetier, if the temp goes under 170). The bed is set to 60.

I would be really thankful for any ideas on what to improve or for your slic3r PLA settings.

Also: any ideas how to get around this "cold extrusion prevented" thing? I'm 100% sure i could print the PLA at 170 if it wasn't prevented.

Another one: should I turn on the "cooling" thing in slicer again? Because the settings mention fan speed (and I don't have a fan) I turned that off.

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2 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

The Yoda does look like it's too hot.  If you add M302 to your start code, it will allow "cold extrusion".  Which control/slicing software are you using?

3 Reply by newq

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

I will try out the M302, thanks!

I use Repetier-Host 0.51 (just updatet it to 0.52 though) and the version of Slic3r that came with it.

4 Reply by solijohn

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

newq wrote:

I will try out the M302, thanks!

I use Repetier-Host 0.51 (just updatet it to 0.52 though) and the version of Slic3r that came with it.

Did this help?

Former Solidoodle employee, no longer associated with the company.

5 Reply by newq

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

That helped a lot, thanks Ian! Print quality is much better now at 170°.

I just have a problem where the first layer of support doesn't always stick to the bed. It will come loose and wreak havoc (or at least does not support as intended) when the printhead moves over it.

6 Reply by solijohn

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

newq wrote:

That helped a lot, thanks Ian! Print quality is much better now at 170°.

I just have a problem where the first layer of support doesn't always stick to the bed. It will come loose and wreak havoc (or at least does not support as intended) when the printhead moves over it.

Turn the bed heat up. Adjust Z-tab.

Former Solidoodle employee, no longer associated with the company.

7 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

You probably don't want the bed to get much hotter than 60c for PLA.  Also, are you doing support in Slic3r?  I haven't had much luck with it, KISSlicer is much better for models that need support.  Also you often need to use a raft with support.  Since support needs to be printed thinner than the rest of the model, it can be hard to get it to stick without a raft.  If you don't want  a raft under your model, you might consider making a thin base as part of the STL that doesn't quite touch the model.

8 Reply by lawsy

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

I've just started on my first row of PLA, and couldn't get it to stick to glass unless I cranked the bed temperature to around 120. I have it drop to 60 after that. Fan running the whole time to cool.

Pops off like ABS as the glass/part cools.

Also tried glass with kapton and it did stick slightly better to that.

lawsy's Website

9 Reply by newq

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

Actually, most of the time the PLA is super unproblematic and sticks good enough. It's just some fine lines that get dragged along when the extruder travels over them. Maybe overextrusion or something?

I will try KISSlicer ... tried some prints and I'm just not happy with slic3r's support.

10 Reply by newq

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

KISSlicer (and new settings: now I print the PLA at 160 after the first layer) really did it.

Thanks again, Ian!

Sorry for all the follow up questions, but: is there a way to print the Kisslicer gcode with Repetier? I could only get it to print with Pronterface. Pasting it into Repetier crashes it. I really dislike the UI of Pronterface, especially how it displays what's currently printing.

11 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Need Help Adjusting my Settings for PLA

You shouldn't have to paste it into Repetier, just open it with the Load button (page looking thing in the upper left).