High quality prints

danielkschneider · Post by **danielkschneider** » Sun Sep 23, 2012 9:53 pm

stratogavster wrote:Update on the venture for high quality prints....

Anybody have any suggestions how to improve the bonding to the bed?[/b]

Print very very slowly, between 12 and 20 mm/s and as others said: warmer temperature (e.g. 210), print bed really horizontal and nozzle very close.

In addition: Modify your design so that the 1st layer has some holes or "empty lines". I found it very difficult to print large surfaces without these. Rationale: Smaller rectangles will warp less and in addition filament will not bond sideways but rather downwards.

stratogavster · Post by **stratogavster** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:27 pm

See attached zipfile for sliced files I used for printing.

MAKE_testfiles_gcode_Guillaume.zip

Sure i've covered the whole thread but can't quite see the definitive answer....

What profile was used to slice the Octopus?

I'm printing it now and so far it's looking awesome!! just wish it was a higher poly model

I want this profile!!

Will up photos when it's done.....going slow though at 80% speed

stratogavster · Post by **stratogavster** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 10:45 am

Not had the best of results slicing files myself so far.....so gave a prepared Gcode a spin!

So thought i'd showcase that latest print!! good old Octopus....not sure of the slicer settings used but set the speed at 80% throughout the whole print. 210 degrees on the first 2 layers, and 197 degrees thereafter. Took a whopping 14hrs to print!!

Looks pretty awesome....just wish it was a higher poly model!

YouTube · Post by **gfeliksdal** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:50 pm

Wow your octopus looks really neat

. In black the poly's show a lot more than blue.

satoer · Post by **satoer** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 5:52 pm

Here's a High poly version of the ocotopuss... I gave it a meshsmooth with 2 iterations.

stratogavster · Post by **stratogavster** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 6:20 pm

Great!! will try my newly tweaked profiles to slice this beast

Nowhere near my printer yet...but thought i'd check out the 'smoothness' of the model....looking pretty scary already!

Thanks for the new model! mesh smoothing is not something i've done before so didn't really know how successful it could be

stratogavster · Post by **stratogavster** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:15 pm

Posting a continuation of a thread that developed more towards the pursuit of 'High Quality Prints' so moving my efforts over to here for all to see....

Previous learning and issues can be found here http://www.felixprinters.com/forum/view ... 1090#p1090

Working title here is.....Dirty nozzle?

Following a tip off by gfelixsdal regarding bad quality prints and a 'dirty nozzle' I went ahead and focused my attention on my nozzle.

Background:

Due to bad electronics I had a few crashes and a few times where the Z went backwards and the nozzle got dragged over the print

As aluminium is soft I was certain I had permanent damage....but not much I can do about that other than spend money

Also during my observations I noted sometime ago that if manually extruded I would get a perfect thread falling almost perfectly vertically. After the crashes etc (plus mild material build up around the nozzle) I noticed the extruded thread would veer off centre....chaos theory and all that!!

.....I guessed my beaten nozzle was contributing but had thought any effects would be negligible....I was wrong...and also gfelixstals findings show otherwise too!

My course of Action:

Not wanting to go anywhere near this precious and soft nozzle with a 0.35mm drill (because that is simply asking for major major trouble!)...so I used a high quality house hold sewing needle and a cotton bud with Isopropanol as follows....

1.) Heat the hot-end (205 degrees) and extrude some material and watch for extrusion path / behaviour.
2.) Retract
3.) Clean with a cotton bud and Isopropanol
4.) Sewing Needle - Very accurately mate the sharp point with the nozzle aperture though ensure that the needle is as vertical as possible or else you could make your nice round nozzle hole oval!
5.) Apply gentle upward pressure with one hand and turn with the other. 1 turn is enough I feel.
6.) Extrude and watch for extrusion path / behaviour again.

Obviously these steps go someway to clean debris from the nozzle though at a high risk of potentially widening the nozzle aperture at it's very end (creating a flared profile)...so be careful!!

Further to this and probably in my case I have a beaten up nozzle anyway....so my nozzle aperture may never even be purely circular at the exit face

See images for the results.....

I feel the images do not do the improvement justice!! massive massive improvement.....though the inherent mechanics of the machine are now causing the ripples!! hope V1.5 linear bearing get rid of this

File printed is my 'SKIN' test as previously posted...no changes to the gcode!!

Kjetilei · Post by **Kjetilei** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:23 pm

Great improvement! Thanks for sharing

stratogavster · Post by **stratogavster** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 11:15 am

Lastest test print using my latest profile using 'Skin'....

Looks pretty cool, though obvious overhang troubles, but very surprised at how well the model came out in these challenging areas.

The model is actually hollow with a wall around 2 - 2.5mm thick and the print took just under 2 hours at 70% speed. Temp was 205 to start, and 195 for the rest of the print, though the last 5 layers or so I reduced speed to 40% and temp to 187.

stratogavster · Post by **stratogavster** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 11:24 am

Gcode for the test print! Can upload the STL too if anybody is interested

Old_Man_Test1.gcode.zip: (2.48 MiB) Downloaded 26 times

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