1 Topic by jwmflying14 (edited by jwmflying14 2015-06-28 19:20:54)

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Topic: Clumpy infill? (Humid filament) How do you fix it/store it?

Hey guys, I have been printing with my Soli3 for about two years now.
I have recently had a problem with not being able to do anything less than pretty much 100% infill. My filament will not bridge and just clumps any time it tries to infill.
You can see in the picture below that it will try to "clump" where there would normally be an intersection.
I have been using Octave filament for quite some time with excellent results. I have noticed this trend in the middle of a roll, so I decided to open a new roll. It still did it. So I order 2 more new rolls, and it STILL does it. This lead me to a last ditch effort to make a storage container (a sealed Tupperware type box, with an 18" dehumidifying rod (gun safe), as well as a bowl of silica. The lid of the container has weather stripping (which I installed) to try to seal it even further....) I have even tried baking my rolls for 2hr+ at approx 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point I doubt it is humidity, but I could be wrong.
Any ideas??


On a separate note:
I have had issues with this printer since I first got it, mainly that it would print gaps between walls while printing arcs (or non circularized circles, with gaps between one axis of the wall). This was reduced when I switched from Slic3r to Cura. It still won't print perfect, but satisfactory. (I have been told several times to adjust belts, to no avail.) It also occasionally will "step" randomly. It won't do it for months, and then all of a sudden it will step every 15 layers or so, by about 10mm in the Y axis. Belts are properly tension-ed, and it has done it with varying tension in the past. Was told to adjust the pot on the back, which i did (to the appropriate voltage, which it was already at), again with no avail. For note, I believe I have the original motherboard. It hasn't had the step problem in a while, so I am not primarily concerned about it at this moment. (so for the purpose of this post, please concentrate on the filament, since this is the forum I posted under)
Thanks for your guys input!
-Justin

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2 Reply by brightwing

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Re: Clumpy infill? (Humid filament) How do you fix it/store it?

Sounds like your problem might be more complex than this, but I find my infill goes badly when my first layer height is off. If it thinks that its printing 0.2mm but really your first layer is 0.3mm then everything goes wonky from there.

Folgertech Kossel Kit

3 Reply by grob

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Re: Clumpy infill? (Humid filament) How do you fix it/store it?

Infill is usually printed at a slightly higher speed than perimeters, so often if something's limiting the extrusion rate it will show up in infill before perimeters.

A couple of ideas:

* Clogged extruder gear - try cleaning dust out of the gear teeth with a toothbrush
* Not enough tension on the idler arm - tighten the spring on the extruder idler tension arm

^ these two you should be able to see the filament slip relative to the extruder

* Temperature too low - unlikely, as you've been printing well previously, but can have the same symptoms - try +5C if you're interested; don't go much above 220C on the stock extruder though!
* Partial clog of the extruder nozzle - there are tricks with guitar string, but probably requires disassembly to clean properly (which has the chance of damaging the extruder). If all else fails, probably worth the effort, especially as this is after some appreciable hours on the printer.

^ these two the extruder will miss steps - you'll see the extruder gear jump around a bit, and it will make a clunking noise

SD3. Mk2b + glass, heated enclosure, GT2 belts, direct drive y shaft, linear bearings, bowden-feed E3D v5 w/ 0.9° stepper
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4 Reply by Morganism

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Re: Clumpy infill? (Humid filament) How do you fix it/store it?

In addition, to Grob's comment about the temperature being off (I usually adjust up or down by 5-10 degrees and see if it improves or gets worse. Then change accordingly.), this can be caused simply by having your infill too low. Try it at 40% or higher. 

I doubt there is anything wrong with any of the filament you have bought. I would keep it and use it.

My best guess on the circle issue is that you made not be extruding a wide enough line. This can also be temperature related (too low). It can also be because your bed is not leveled properly. If the bed is too far away from the nozzle, you will not get enough smush to widen the first layer and the lines will have a small gap. Finally, if your layer width is not set correctly, you may have a thinner line than there should be. Any of these could cause the problem you are seeing.

If these do not work, things could get more complicated.

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5 Reply by jwmflying14 (edited by jwmflying14 2015-06-28 19:20:19)

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Re: Clumpy infill? (Humid filament) How do you fix it/store it?

Hey guys, I have played with temperature over a 20+ degree  range with no change. Bed height is perfect, has been for a long time. I am now forced to print slower than ever before, and it still doesn't fix it. Although with printing fast, it just worsens the problem and creates issues on the perimeter.

Extruder gear and tensioner are fine.

Nozzle was once clogged, and I fixed it... Still has the issue. (although when extruded into the air, the filament likes to take a sharp curve when leaving the nozzle).


At this point I am really thinking it sounds like humid filament, but even with fresh roles I get the same problem... And, like I mentioned I have tried baking it out, as well as makign a storage container (that I am not sure does much).

Solidoodle seems to refuse to sell me an entirely new hot end... Just pieces (which is annoying). On top of this, solidoodle never even addressed my concern with the skipping y axis, meanwhile forums mostly point towards a bad board.

EDIT: After today I am now almost positive it is humidity in my filament. It now has visible bubbles consistently when extruded into air. This leads me to believe my storage is not adequate.

Can you guys post up your storage methods?

I followed a guide and built a tupperware-style storage container (plastic storage container), with a golden rod gun safe dehumidifier, and a tub of silica in the bottom. It apparently does not do the job here in California.

6 Reply by heartless

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Re: Clumpy infill? (Humid filament) How do you fix it/store it?

(although when extruded into the air, the filament likes to take a sharp curve when leaving the nozzle).

this is indicative of a partial clog - the filament should come straight out of the nozzle when free extruding... There is something that is causing the filament to turn - either a chunk of missed clog, or a nick in the nozzle itself.

your storage box wont do much good if the filament is already full of moisture. You will need to try to dry it out somehow - very low oven for a couple of hours? (not something I have had to do yet, so not really sure)

The storage box needs to be "air tight" and seal very well in order to keep humidity out.
We have a couple of the Ziploc brand air tight boxes - these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MWT … PDKIKX0DER (that price is for 4 of them)

these work quite well with a container of Damp Rid in them. We have one of the extra large ones with the 6 snap on lid locks as in the link, and a smaller one (medium?) with 4 lid locks. both work well. Walmart sells the smaller ones.
the extra large one will hold a full dozen rolls of filament, the smaller one holds a half dozen with no problems, might be able to squeeze a couple more in if I need to.

The big thing is, if you are dealing with high humidity, put the filament away when you done printing for the day - do not leave it out & on the printer. We have been dealing with near constant rain here in northern WI - darn near every day has seen at least a little rain, so humidity levels have been pretty high here.

SD4 #1 & #2 - Lawsy carriages, E3D v6, Rumba controller board, mirror bed plate, X motor fan, upgraded PSU & Mica bed heater
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