1 Topic by gettingbored (edited by gettingbored 2013-07-31 05:02:28)

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Topic: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

Anything with a curve in it seems to print as if the curve is a ton of tiny dots.

Here's a video of it happening.
Wait, I guess I'm not allowed to post any links... sooooo
youtube.com/ watch?v=31RX2tNueo8 [Just get rid of that space to check it out or search "Solidoodle 2 Problem with anything curved"]


It prints straight lines fine, here are some pictures. Any ideas on why this is happening? I'm using the stock slic3r settings I believe, with Repetier on a Mac.

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2 Reply by ronsii

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

could you post the stl that's in the video? I think after 5 or 10 posts you are allowed real links. What software are you making the stl's in?

3 Reply by gettingbored (edited by gettingbored 2013-07-31 06:00:08)

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

I didn't make the files, but I was printing the Cute Octopus Says Hello [thing:27053] in the video. I've printed it dozens of times and on 4 different printers. Never seen anything like this happen.

I first noticed this happening when I tried to print something that was a circle, and thought it was a bad STL. So I busted out my tried and true and it happened again.

I have a Printrbot Jr. here as well, and it's printing some circular things as well. I'm actually noticing this same effect happening, but I didn't before this. Could it be a problem with Repetier (I'm using Repetier to control both the Solidoodle 2 and the Printrbot Jr. at different times)?

Any thoughts are helpful, thanks! I'll upload the files that are acting weird just in case.

It won't let me upload the octopus stl file...

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4 Reply by gettingbored

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

Looks like this is also happening to some extent with my Printrbot Jr.

Check out the video:
youtube .com/watch?v=lkwE2v9V1_k

And then it printing straight lines without any trouble:
youtube .com/watch?v=HTjTSGYi9XM

5 Reply by solijohn

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

gettingbored wrote:

Looks like this is also happening to some extent with my Printrbot Jr.

Check out the video:
youtube .com/watch?v=lkwE2v9V1_k

And then it printing straight lines without any trouble:
youtube .com/watch?v=HTjTSGYi9XM

They could be marks from the nozzle hitting the filament. You might want to back off your z-axis.

Former Solidoodle employee, no longer associated with the company.

6 Reply by RavensCrest

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

Mmm... what's wrong with your filament? it's light on the bottom and dark on top...
check extrusion rate and search solution for Z wobble.

Solidoodle2 with Ceramic tile heated bed http://www.soliforum.com/topic/2544/my- … eated-bed/
"1kg should last for an while" is a lie!

7 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

Give us some more background.
What temperature are you extruding at? Is it PLA or ABS? It looks like you are trying .3mm layer heights. Is that right?

SD3 w/ mods:
Glass bed with QU-BD heat pad upgrade, threadless ballscrew w/ 8mm smooth rod, spectra line belt replacement, lawsy MK5 extruder, Lawsy replacement carriage, E3D hotend, Ramps 1.4 w/ reprap discount controller, DRV8825 drivers, 12v 30A PS, Acrylic case, Overkill Y-idlers, Filament alarm, Extruder fan + more.

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8 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

That is some really bad Z wobble on the box, and a properly constructed Solidoodle should not do that.  The threaded rod for the Z axis has a hole drilled in the bottom which slides over the shaft of the motor.  They have been known to drill that hole off center which will cause that extreme ribbing.  There are solutions around the forum for that, but you should contact Solidoodle to see if they will send you a Z rod and motor.

9 Reply by gettingbored

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

The filament is dark at the bottom because it gets darker the longer it's in the nozzle. So when I first started that print it took a bit to heat the nozzle and get it moving.

Anyways, on the Printrbot Jr I am printing .3mm layer heights, but I don't think the nozzle is hitting what it's printing. I stopped printing those feet for the Printrbot and switched to something square and it printed it fine without any problems at all.

The filament is 1.75mm PLA, printing at 190deg I believe. Whatever the stock settings for the Printrbot are.

10 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

In the Printrbot video it looks like it is jittering a little bit going around the curves.  I've seen that happen when it seems like the computer isn't getting commands to the printer fast enough.  Straight lines are easy because it is a single command, but curves are a lot of little lines in a short time.  You can try making sure the computer isn't doing anything else that might peak the CPU, maybe try a different usb port or cable.  If you have any way of using an SD card, that might work better.  Also check that the baud rate is 250000 or whatever the Printrbot requires.

11 Reply by solijohn

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

gettingbored wrote:

Anything with a curve in it seems to print as if the curve is a ton of tiny dots.

Here's a video of it happening.
Wait, I guess I'm not allowed to post any links... sooooo
youtube.com/ watch?v=31RX2tNueo8 [Just get rid of that space to check it out or search "Solidoodle 2 Problem with anything curved"]


It prints straight lines fine, here are some pictures. Any ideas on why this is happening? I'm using the stock slic3r settings I believe, with Repetier on a Mac.

May we use your pictures to help people who suffer this problem in the future?

Former Solidoodle employee, no longer associated with the company.

12 Reply by gettingbored (edited by gettingbored 2013-08-01 03:32:02)

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

solidoodlesupport wrote:
gettingbored wrote:

Anything with a curve in it seems to print as if the curve is a ton of tiny dots.

Here's a video of it happening.
Wait, I guess I'm not allowed to post any links... sooooo
youtube.com/ watch?v=31RX2tNueo8 [Just get rid of that space to check it out or search "Solidoodle 2 Problem with anything curved"]


It prints straight lines fine, here are some pictures. Any ideas on why this is happening? I'm using the stock slic3r settings I believe, with Repetier on a Mac.

May we use your pictures to help people who suffer this problem in the future?

Please do! And let me know if you want me to take any more.

13 Reply by gettingbored

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

IanJohnson wrote:

In the Printrbot video it looks like it is jittering a little bit going around the curves.  I've seen that happen when it seems like the computer isn't getting commands to the printer fast enough.  Straight lines are easy because it is a single command, but curves are a lot of little lines in a short time.  You can try making sure the computer isn't doing anything else that might peak the CPU, maybe try a different usb port or cable.  If you have any way of using an SD card, that might work better.  Also check that the baud rate is 250000 or whatever the Printrbot requires.

I believe there is a way to use the SD Card slot on the board to print from, I'll have to look into that.

In the mean time I'll try swapping USB Cables. Also double checking the baud rate. I'm printing from a Mac Mini that's pretty supped up. It's got a 2.7GHz i7 w/ a 1TB Fusion drive and 16GB of RAM. It's pretty much used just for 3D printing.

14 Reply by RavensCrest

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

gettingbored wrote:

It's got a 2.7GHz i7 w/ a 1TB Fusion drive and 16GB of RAM. It's pretty much used just for 3D printing.

lol, don't think it's computer issue anymore.

Solidoodle2 with Ceramic tile heated bed http://www.soliforum.com/topic/2544/my- … eated-bed/
"1kg should last for an while" is a lie!

15 Reply by gettingbored

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Re: Problem with printing anything but straight lines

I think I figured it out. I had the setting on the printer set to check the bed and extruder temp every "0" seconds, so it was constantly struggling to read the temps every possible moment, "clogging" the connection it feels.

Anyways, I turned that off and now it seems to be working a lot better.