So I just recently purchased a K8400 from a local distributor and have had a number of issues printing and I was wondering if anyone had any insight.
For reference, I’m trying to print to BuildTak using ABS.
[ul]
[li]Once the printer reaches the target temperature (245), the print starts but the temperature begins to immediately drop, staying at about 218 or so.[/li]
[li]I’ve leveled the build platform several times now and I can’t seem to keep ABS prints stuck to the printing bed.[/li]
[li]The print has peeled up several times and has lead to a massive clot of plastic that has left a plastic residue all over the print head and the rest of the brass[/li]
[li]The temperature cartridge wires have started to turn light brown where they meet the brass part of the print head.[/li][/ul]
None of this really seems normal and I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong. I’ve already done the PID tuning and the XY alignment which fixed my original issues but these ones persist.
Is the ambient temperature of the room a big factor? Is there anything else I can do to make headway on this?
You can’t print ABS on the Buildtak (well you can print small pieces and usually they’re almost impossible to remove). To print ABS you’ll need to install a heated bed and use a 3D spray (like Dimafix or 3D Lac) to get ABS sticking on the bed.
220° is enough to print ABS. If your temperature is dropping it’s because the fan is blowing on the heater. Reduce the fan speed in the Start G-code (M106 S80 ; Turn on fan).
If you want to install a heated bed, have a look in the Wiki.
Some printers have a possible build area of (for example) 20cm on the X axis. As this is the mechanical maximum and this edge shouldn’t be touched while printing, the firmware settings often have a little bit smaller values, in this case probably 18 or 19cm, for safety.
I’m pretty sure, that your printer runs Marlin and you should be able to find the firmware of your printer somewhere online. Get the Arduino IDE at arduino.cc and open your firmware. In the configuration.h there should be values dialed in for maximum build measurements, adjust them according to your needs, but first test, how much space you really have, before crushing your printhead into the printer. As the Marlin firmware is quite a giant to read, it might be difficult to find the lines, that you need to modify. You can use the key combination “control + f” to search for a term, like “endstop” or similar, to speed up the search process. Videos like this one will guide you as well. 3d printing anand