under extrusion problem (I think) but from what?

[prussiap]

Hi All,
I have stock Rostock Max V2.

The problem is weird uneven 5mm block print (and others). See pictures below.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ngxkeuczrkfmz ... 2.jpg?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
What I've done: Took apart the EZstruder cleaned everything again (but didn't notice teeth marks in filament down stream before or after). I cleaned the nozzle while hot and shoved more filament through, then retracted filament and cleaned the rest of nozzle with drill bits for nozzle size just to make sure.

I had this problem the first week and it turned out the ezstruder gears where grinding or getting stuck and feeding less filament to the nozzle and thus giving me this weird gloppy filament and was told it was under-extrusion.

Any thoughts would be grateful to fix this issue? I'm thinking of swapping this with some of the new e3d nozzles I got anyway but I'd like to fix this for now.

Pictures here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vg5n0hj6bc3n ... I_A0a?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[prussiap]

Did I post this in the wrong place? No suggestions or thoughts? I still haven't managed to debug this and am wondering if switching to E3d all metal hot end.

[Earthbound]

I don't think it is an under-extrusion problem. Pictures are a bit fuzzy, but looks like print is consistent until it makes a top surface. There is not enough infill present underneath to lay down a solid layer. Would need to know several things to point to a likely cure.

Nozzle size?
Extrusion width?
Layer height?
Infill percentage?
Number of layers for top skin?
Speed for solid infill?

Thin top surfaces are not a good indicator of extrusion quality. They are highly influenced by the structure below.

[prussiap]

Thanks for the reply. The start layers were also weird like that and some of the mid ones on one of my earlier prints. When I can get the printer back in one piece I'll re-print it.

For now though:

Nozzle size: 0.5mm
Extrusion width: 0.5mm
Layer height: 0.25mm ? whole image here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wulyhgp3mowan ... 9.jpg?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Infill percentage: 20% https://www.dropbox.com/s/9murvrpvaui2q ... 7.png?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Number of layers for top skin: no clue ? https://www.dropbox.com/s/0me7vkz5whbcm ... 8.png?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Speed for solid infill: last picture I think

Extruder info: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bqf54ym450xwl ... 4.jpg?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The thing is I haven't changed anything setting wise from any of my previous prints so why would it suddenly change the quality of my prints ? I'm using Simplify3d as the software also and have been for ~6months with no issues. Great software.

[prussiap]

hi,
No other thoughts or suggestions? I haven't figured out what my problem and cleaned the parts best I could. not sure what else to do and still kind of new.. might opt for e3d hot end replacement for lack of anything else to try.

[Jimustanguitar]

I'd doublecheck your layer height, that looks way bigger than .25mm to me (although, there's no banana in the picture so it's hard to tell for sure)

Is this ABS or PLA?


I'd try another slicer, or have somebody with known good settings slice the file for you.

[prussiap]

Hey,
ABS. I've been using simplify3d for slicing and had zero changes in settings (or ABS filament or anything) between working prints and these crappy prints. I left for 1 week on vacation and that's it.. Which makes this weirder.

[teoman]

I think that i have started to get the same problem as you are getting.

The part that i am printing is basically a cube shaped cup on top of a pipe.

The pipe part prints fine, and the cube part prints fine except for the bottom part of the cube where there are solid layers. This affects the outside of the print aswell where it becomes brittle and flaky.

I also have the same problem on the top surfaces where it seems almost as if it is not extruding anything.

I have tried 0.2 and 0.3 mm layer heights.
I have 7 perimeters and 6 top and bottom layers.
Printing ABS at 240 degs.

[teoman]

I think that I am closer to finding the problem.

It seems to me that at some elevation it is much more difficult to push the filament in the bowden tube. I find that this is about 5-6 cm above the bed.

My bowden tube does not seem to have any kinks in it.


I have now added one of my wife's cotton swabs with a teaspoon of olive oil, folded over the filament and held in place by a clothes peg on the filament where it exits the spool.

I really need to print 3 or potentially 4 of these 8 hour parts unitll monday for work.

[teoman]

Well, that seems to have completely solved the problem for me.

Interestingly stringing is also gone.



A question for the gurus: Would oil contamination decrease the strength of my prints? Or is thermowelding unaffected by contaminants? I know adhesives do not like it at all if there is even the slightest of oil on any of the surfaces.

[teoman]

Here are some pictures:

The completely yellow part is the one that i printed with the olive oil.

On the very bottom of the part there is an indentation, like a ring about 2-3mm above the base. THat I believe is where the olive oil kicked in.

(Do not mind the transition from white to yellow, i ran out of filament so i swithced to yellow mid print utilizing the white spool untill the last 11cm or so.)


On the bad print you can see where the problems start to occur, untill the solid layer the part is very strong (the pipe part).




On the top view you can also see that the top solid layers inside the part have holes in them and are not at all good. On the part with the olive oil, they are solid. I still do have a bit of stringing, but these appear to be more solid strings like the extruder did not stop extruding, not like the classical spider web type of stringing which was abundant before the olive oil.

On another failed part, the upper layers are crunchy and not well stuck together ( ABS @240 degs, and during the print it did not have a drop or similar problem).

There is a thread that discusses using oil to lubricate the filament:
http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php ... la+convert" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[teoman]

I discovered that some of the problem was with the filament approaching 2mm in diameter.

I suppose that is what you get for using factory rejects