Topic: Part cooling fan on ABS, PLA, both?
So I printed a part cooling fan shroud and am trying it on ABS on my SD4, but I'm still getting poor adhesion of the first layer.
Should the cooling fan only be used for PLA?
Re: Part cooling fan on ABS, PLA, both?
a fan doesn't really help with adhesion, for ABS it is helpful for short layers, bridging and a few more things. for PLA it is essential.
Slic3r has logic for when to turn the fan on and off--you can find it under Filament settings. However, your fan has to be connected to the PWM port of your motherboard, which the Printrboard on the SD4 does not break out stock, but I believe you can solder the pins in. For ABS, you want the fan off for at least the first layer because the heat helps with adhesion.
In short, for ABS, fan always on is not beneficial and may cause problems by creating a temperature gradient in the print.
3 2015-03-01 00:21:37 (edited by jagowilson 2015-03-01 00:45:34)
Re: Part cooling fan on ABS, PLA, both?
Double post. Do you have glass on that bed or are you printing straight to the kapton? try glass and aquanet hairspray for adhesion if you aren't already. works great. it works so well that solidoodle is now shipping the new models without kapton and is just giving people glass.
I got an 8x8 sheet cut and print to the glass. Glass is held to the bed with aquanet hairspray. Pic of my setup attached. Notice I removed the kapton but I don't recommend this.
stupid iphone
4 2015-03-03 09:26:18 (edited by diyengineer 2015-03-03 09:30:38)
Re: Part cooling fan on ABS, PLA, both?
If your using ABS, set your bed to 110C, extruder to 200C and print on blue painters tape. I gave up on everything else. Never lost a part due to lifting since i went with tape.
Also ABS, you don't want it cooled at all. It will shrink, peel, lift, etc. You want it hot and thermally stable. Close your machine off and keep drafts away. I have a small heater and keep the ambient temp 40C. this will help eliminate shrinkage the further you get away from the heated build plate.
Check your initial layer height really closely. I set my first layer height in slicer to .35mm which works great, and .3 after that. Use a piece of paper to gap check the extruder to top of blue painters tape. Print a test and make sure that first layer is .35 mm. Adjust the z home screw until you get a good layer that isn't to thin, and not to thick. To thin, you will be able to see the blue painters tape, to thick, and the abs barely sticks. Measure with caliper.
Re: Part cooling fan on ABS, PLA, both?
jagowilson wrote:
Double post. Do you have glass on that bed or are you printing straight to the kapton? try glass and aquanet hairspray for adhesion if you aren't already. works great. it works so well that solidoodle is now shipping the new models without kapton and is just giving people glass.
I got an 8x8 sheet cut and print to the glass. Glass is held to the bed with aquanet hairspray. Pic of my setup attached. Notice I removed the kapton but I don't recommend this.
stupid iphone
Just switched to glass, worked perfectly last night (knock on wood!).
I tried it first while leaving the Kapton in place, but the Kapton adhesive bubbled, so I yanked it off, works much better!
Thanks!