I also have some issues with flow rate especially on dif color filaments that seem to melt more than others at same temp like red etc. are there other print tests besides nickel, bridge, box on thingaverse?

the filaments like red also ooze into recessed text too much. filament of different colors and same manufacturer seem to have different flow characteristics. meaning more Slic3r profiles yet again for each roll.

one thing I learned here was how fan cooling setting engages the slowdown settings. wondered why mine stopped working b4 even for bridges. though I dont have fan connections on board yet

Photog wrote:

techbuilder2175 wrote:

Have you tried another slicer?
Some slicers perform better on there surface layer such as KISS slicer

What version of Slic3r do you have?

1.00 rc1.

Have not tried other slicer. I like Repetir host a lot. But skeinforge looks too complicated for me and i wish RH supported kissslicrr

You can export the g-code from Kisslicer and load in RH pretty easy.

not easy using a slicer not incorperated into RH mostly due to no view while working. Skeinforge never has worked since I buoght my SD2 a year ago wish KISS was bundled instead. as Skeinforge is just wasting space. nobody even at Skeinforge is able to help fix the issue. it trys to destroy printer if used. it drags extruder across platform bed at about speed 5 from parked corner to center then scuffs/smears a tiny circle in center then drops bed 4 layers and repeats the tiny circle a couple more layers then returns to corner as finished.
every stl tried does same thing (only tried 5 dif then decided not to risk my printer further). obviously default settings are not for the SD2/RH application and no support english nor german available from manufacturer Skeinforge as if they went out of business couple years ago. so slic3r is only way I have and it does fine so far. just seems a waste of RH features not having more options for slicers etc.

Photog, no advice here but my printer suddenly started printing rough after months of no problems.  I don't *think* it is setting or fillament as they were working fine and I've since played with them and everything *seems* to be correct.

So, I'm now wondering if it is hardware related. Given the problems you are having, could it be the same?

Does the nozzle look good?  If you stream filament on manual, does it look right?

I'll be posting pics and more info this weekend. Right now, I'm just hoping your problem is my problem and you figure it out before I get there :-)

Stil no luck.

So, I'm now wondering if it is hardware related. Given the problems you are having, could it be the same?

Does the nozzle look good?  If you stream filament on manual, does it look right?

I'll be posting pics and more info this weekend. Right now, I'm just hoping your problem is my problem and you figure it out before I get there :-)

I've read the thread very fast, so I may have missed something, but my observation is that one of your photos shows .40mm as your nozzle diameter and you are targetting a .42 single thread wall width, which is too small. 

.40mm is apparently the diameter of the latest Solidoodle Extruders; the originally manufactured units (and therefore most of the documentation) were .35mm diameter and .42mm was the correct target for that original size nozzle.

You should find out what the correct single wall thickness is for the .40 nozzle diameter, recalibrate, and assess your residual problem.

I'm sorry for not being able to quote the correct setting, but I don't have time to do the research and verification. It appears to me that Solidoodle's change to the .40 nozzle (from the .35 original) is causing significant confusion and lags in the documentation.

anyone here know the setting?

.40mm is apparently the diameter of the latest Solidoodle Extruders; the originally manufactured units (and therefore most of the documentation) were .35mm diameter and .42mm was the correct target for that original size nozzle.

You should find out what the correct single wall thickness is for the .40 nozzle diameter, recalibrate, and assess your residual problem.

I'm sorry for not being able to quote the correct setting, but I don't have time to do the research and verification. It appears to me that Solidoodle's change to the .40 nozzle (from the .35 original) is causing significant confusion and lags in the documentation.

Do you have cooling checked on?

I believe so, why?

The other thing it, it seems when i am printing raised 3d text on flat sufaces it prints really fast and distorts the text. No matter what speed setting i lower it still prints fast? Wouldn't that text be considered either a perimeter or a top solid?

Ready to give up... Can't figure this out.

techbuilder2175 wrote:

Have you tried another slicer?
Some slicers perform better on there surface layer such as KISS slicer

What version of Slic3r do you have?

1.00 rc1.

Have not tried other slicer. I like Repetir host a lot. But skeinforge looks too complicated for me and i wish RH supported kissslicrr

You can export the g-code from Kisslicer and load in RH pretty easy.

Have you tried another slicer?
Some slicers perform better on there surface layer such as KISS slicer

What version of Slic3r do you have?

1.00 rc1.

Have not tried other slicer. I like Repetir host a lot. But skeinforge looks too complicated for me and i wish RH supported kissslicrr

What version of Slic3r do you have?

; generated by Slic3r 1.0.0RC1 on 2013-12-12 at 04:19:52

; layer_height = 0.300
; perimeters = 3
; top_solid_layers = 3
; bottom_solid_layers = 3
; fill_density = .1
; perimeter_speed = 60
; infill_speed = 60
; travel_speed = 75
; nozzle_diameter = .4
; filament_diameter = 1.784
; extrusion_multiplier = 1
; perimeters extrusion width = 0.42mm
; infill extrusion width = 0.42mm
; solid infill extrusion width = 0.42mm
; top infill extrusion width = 0.42mm
; first layer extrusion width = 0.42mm

Ok have tried everything... Different extrusion widths, different retraction amounts,  etc. The above settings are what's getting me the best top solid infills without as many gaps, but still gaps. I even set my extrusion multiplyer in slic3r back up to 1.00 hoping that the extra filament would help make the top solid layer solid without the gaps between the strands. No go.

With the 1.00 extrusion multiplier, the top actually is more solid now, but still has gaps in the solid fill, and the perimeters are crappier looking. Also my single wall widths go back up to .50mm instead of .42mm.

re-checked my extruder calibration and it's extruding exactly 100mm when I tell it to.

What else could it be?

The only thing I didn't try was lowering the top solid infill speed, but I have it set at 40mm/s which is already 10mm/s slower than the slic3r default and 20mm/s slower than the Solidoodle default profile.

Could temperature be causing the gaps? I'm running at 205c extruding temperature because anything less and I don't get good layer adhesion and the layers break away.

What I don't understand is, that I wasn't having this problem on my first 5-10 prints or so. Early on when the printer came from the factory I was getting very nice solid top layers! It's only been a problem now with the top solid infill now that the printer is better calibrated, printing on a nice glass bed with hairspray, and also in a nice enclosure...

???