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Topic: First Print Result by Solidoodle 4 Very Strange

Hello All.. I am really newbie in 3D Printer. I need advise on how to improve my Solidoodle 4.

During my first trial, I got very strange result : warping, gap between layer, shrinkage etc.

Trying few steps :
1.) clean bed with acetone
2.) leveled the bed with thin paper
3.) calibrate Z-Tab

However, no improvement. The results as in attachment. All pictures shown the same part.

My SD4 Printer and Software settings :
1.) Nozzle Size : 0.4mm
2.) Motherboard : Rev-E
3.) Filament : ABS 1.75mm White Color from Makerbot
4.) Bed Temperature : 100 C
5.) Bed Type : Kapton
6.) Extruder Temperature : 210 C
7.) Sotware : Repetier Host with Slic3r version 1.1
8.) First Layer Height : 0.35mm
9.) Other Layer Height : 0.30mm
10.) Fill Density : 40%
11.) Fill Pattern : Honeycomb
12.) Top/Bottom Fill Pattern : rectilinear

Can anybody help on what is actually happen to my SD4. What is the most possible root cause?


regards,
Fikri

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Re: First Print Result by Solidoodle 4 Very Strange

Welcome to the forum, and hope you enjoy learning about and getting to know your printer!

Good to hear you've levelled your bed - keep an eye on this.

Ok, lots of overextrusion there! First off you'll need to calibrate the extruder:

(1) Measure your actual filament diameter - while nominally 1.75mm, it can vary depending on the supplier and batch.
  (a) Measure at several locations along a few m of filament with digital calipers
  (b) Take an average of these results
  (c) Enter this value into "filament diameter" under slic3r's filament settings

(2) Calibrate extruder steps-per-mm
  (a) Mark the filament with a marker 100mm and 150mm from the top face of the extruder (use a ruler!)
  (b) Note down the extruder steps-per-mm from R-H eeprom settings (lets call this "E_old")
  (c) With the nozzle heated up to normal extrusion temperature (210C for the stock SD4 hot end will be fine), manually extrude 100mm into free air using the R-H control panel
  (d) Measure the distance from the top of the extruder to the 100mm or 150mm mark, to determine how much filament actually went into the printer - let's call this "L"
  (e) Calculate the new extruder steps per mm (let's call this "E_new") using the following formula
           E_new = E_old * 100mm / L
  (f) Enter the new steps-per-mm value into the R-H eeprom settings (1 decimal place is fine), and save
  (g) Repeat steps (a) to (d) to confirm the extruder now takes exactly 100mm, repeat calibration if necessary
Note that most users report a value of around 105 steps/mm for the solidoodle extruders, while the default is closer to 130.

(3) Set your default extrusion width to 0.48mm (this is the recommended value for a 0.4mm nozzle) in slic3r

(4) Run a PID autotune on your extruder heater

(5) Calibrate the wall thickness (single-wall cube) using the slic3r extrusion multiplier
  (a) Set your extrusion multiplier (under slic3r's filament settings) to 1 (let's call this "EM_old").
  (b) Print a 20mm cube, in slic3r adjust the following settings:
     * Number of perimters: 1
     * Infill % : 0
     * Number of bottom solid layers: 2
     * Number of top solid layers: 0
  (c) Using digital calipers, measure the thickness of all four walls, and take an average - let's call this "T".
  (d) Adjust the slic3r extrusion multiplier using the following formula:
           EM_new =  EM_old * 0.48mm / T
  (e) Print another cube, and confirm the wall thickness is now exactly 0.48mm.
Note that this value varies for users, most report a value between about 0.85 and 1.05.

Then I'd highly recommend (you can look these up further via google and this forum):

* Tightening and aligning your y-axis belts, including the motor drivebelt, to minimise backlash. There appears to be some distortion in the circle.

* Investigate using glass+hairspray (or glass + gluestick) as your build surface instead of kapton - this seems by most accounts to have much better adhesion than plain kapton (no matter how scrubbed or clean!).

* Buy and install a well nut to reduce backlash on your z-axis (these are very cheap and surprisingly effective!)

SD3. Mk2b + glass, heated enclosure, GT2 belts, direct drive y shaft, linear bearings, bowden-feed E3D v5 w/ 0.9° stepper
Smoothieboard via Octoprint on RPi

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Re: First Print Result by Solidoodle 4 Very Strange

grab,

Many thanks for your prompt reply. Good. Looks like you're an expert in 3D Printing. Then, let me try smile

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Re: First Print Result by Solidoodle 4 Very Strange

Very well done grob!!!
A couple of additions.
Layer heights need to be set as such.
.3 = .2963
.2 = .1976
.1 = .09878
I like to run my first layer height the same height as the rest.

You will also want to take a look at the extrusion widths in your slice profile > Print Settings > Advanced.
Any number that is .42 change to .48 with the exception of the first layer you will want to reduce that to somewhere around .24-.36.  This will create more tool paths on that first layer and promote adhesion.   Glass + Hairspray will greatly increase your odds of achieving good results.

Printit Industries Model 8.10 fully enclosed CoreXY, Chamber heat
3-SD3's & a Workbench all fully enclosed, RH-Slic3r Win7pro, E3D V6, Volcano & Cyclops Hot End
SSR/500W AC Heated Glass Bed, Linear bearings on SS rods. Direct Drive Y-axis, BulldogXL
Thanks to all for your contributions

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Re: First Print Result by Solidoodle 4 Very Strange

wardjr wrote:

with the exception of the first layer you will want to reduce that to somewhere around .24-.36.  This will create more tool paths on that first layer and promote adhesion.

Aha! The adhesion master strikes again!
I'd somehow missed this trick. Next print... Exciting! smile
Thanks Ward.

SD3. Mk2b + glass, heated enclosure, GT2 belts, direct drive y shaft, linear bearings, bowden-feed E3D v5 w/ 0.9° stepper
Smoothieboard via Octoprint on RPi