Hi there.
Just upgraded the k8200 with an external 24v psu to drive the bed (much better!)
But sadly I’m getting strange striping in my printing now (not because of this new psu, was probably getting it before but had given up trying to get anything to stick to the bed)
What could cause this? I’ve futzed with my settings so much it’s easily something I’ve done.
I see that the skirt is not a full line, this means that the hot end is not properly loaded. Just before the hotend reaches its temp manual extrude some filament by turning the big gear
Do this untill there is a good filament flow
For sticking it to the bed i have no problem with this.
Did you try this?
Best Regards,
VEL337
I have problems with idle filament snapping when left for any time… Basically any print job is a fresh load of filament
My mirror is absolutely spotless (in fact, the few spots that might be seen are actually glue from glustick)
I’ve added g-code to extrude 15mm of filament before starting the print. We’ll see if that helps.
Try to rais the Z axis to between 150 and 200 mm after print.
This will releas the tension from your filament.
Also i advice using a spool holder with low friction.
Thank you, I will try this
My spool rests on universal mounts which themselves sit on 2 sets of bearings, don’t get much lower friction than this.
Regarding my first layer printing, I might need to re-calibrate my z-axis, one of the last things I did before packing up and waiting for my packages to arive is swap out a bent z-coupler for a non-bent one.
edit.
grr, 3 layers in it pops off the glass 
Adding more heat didn’t help… Might need to ditch windex and switch to alcohol… Again, perhaps calibrating my z axis again might help.
Edit 2, glue didn’t work…
It snaps off at almost predictable and exact heights (between 3.3 mm and 3.5mm) I wonder if the problem isn’t thermal, or adhesive but actually mechanical - I wonder if the z-axis is not lifting evenly and is striking the subject.
Sigh
This is beginning to shit me, I’ve spent over $1200 on this printer and I haven’t been able to get a single print off it.
Do you print directly to the pcb?
Which material?
Did you turn on cooling?
If so, thry to disable cooling in slicer for the first few layers.
Nope, my PCB was warped, which is strange because my $400 portabee pcb is dead flat and heats up faster
PLA, measured with calipers at 20 points along the length have an average diameter of 2.999 mm
Fan comes on at layer 10, default was 3, if I can ever get it to print a fan duct…
I’m going to bed now. Tomorrow night I’ll re-calibrate the z-axis, add fresh lube to all 3 of the z-axis rods + threaded rod, and try again…
Failing that, I know PLA sticks to Kapton tape - or at least it does on my portabee - I didn’t want to tape the glass because it’s fiddly… but if I have to I will.
I have parked my z-axis at 160mm, lets see if the pla breaks tonight.
make sure your fans doesn’t point down at the bed, as it will cool the heatbed then and cause the print to pop.
I print on a glass plate with no additional adhesives and 10mm brim, with 60°C forpla and 90°C for abs.
Do you print with brim?
If not try 10mm brim around the object.
Hi,
I increased my Perimeters to 6 to ensure the nozzle is well primed.
When your print starts you may want to try to adjust your Z axis by hand.
To me it looks like it is a little high.
try to use slower speed in first layer 30-40% and hairspray.
And if you are printing over the place where thermistor is, then raise bed temperature to 55 till first 3 layers are printed.
I have also mirror and it was ok, till I ordered other filament, that didn’t stick anymore without hairspray and lowering first layer speed to 30%.
Sady at 160 mm the pla still snapped, will try other positions in that area.
I’ve bent the fan to point further away from the bed and more at the head.
adding the following instructions to start g-code results in 30mm of feed to prime the nozzle
G1 E30 F400 ; prime nozzle
G92 E0.0 ; reset absolute co-ordinate of feeder[quote=“Wrong Way”]When your print starts you may want to try to adjust your Z axis by hand.
To me it looks like it is a little high.[/quote]
How do you mean?
I just checked my level and I home distance, I can slide a receipt under the head with just the slightest friction (one corner is slightly tighter than the others) at every corner and the middle when z is at home.
Will try slower speed but hairspray just didn’t work - I have had mild success with paper mate glue stix but it’s hit and miss.
This is the same filament I used on my Portabee, which is just a pcb covered with kapton.
Let’s try this a little more scientific like.
Print head/z-axis height calibration done with a receipt (thermal paper) - thickness 0.6 mm.
Most of the bed this can be pulled out with little consistent friction except one corner that is slightly tighter.
Custom G-Code begin is configured to feed 30mm of filament at the start of printing.
Filament
Diameter: 2.99mm
Extrusion multiplier: 1.1
Extruder Temperature: 190/190°C
Bed Temperature: 60/55°C
Layers and perimeters
Layer height: 0.25mm
First layer height: 0.3mm
Perimiters: 3
Speeds
Perimeters: 30mm/s
Small perimeters: 30mm/s
External perimeters: 95%
Infill: 40mm/s
Solid infill: 40mm/s
First layer speed: 60%
Skirt and brim
Loops: 5
Distance from object: 6mm
Attempt 1 Failure
Mirror cleaned with Methylated Spirits and Windex
First layer was spotty like it was having troubles feeding or spitting out the filament.
Skirt was a bit thin miserable looking.
Print dislodged around layer 3 or 4
Attempt 2 Not Bad
Mirror cleaned with Windex, 2 coats of Schwarzkopf Extra Care Syper Styling Lacquer (“extreme hold”) - I had previously tried this without much success…
Allowed to dry for 5 minutes (+ bed / head heat up time)
So far… looking good… up to layer 75
I’ve been measuring my filament as it’s comming out of the roll… seems that this stuff varies hugely, there was a section three where the thickness was only 2.89mm - I wonder if this isn’t a contributing factor…
Now to print something useful…
[quote=“freman”]Let’s try this a little more scientific like.
Print head/z-axis height calibration done with a receipt (thermal paper) - thickness 0.6 mm.
Most of the bed this can be pulled out with little consistent friction except one corner that is slightly tighter.
[/quote]
If you really set your Z homing to 0.6mm this will be the cause.
Try to get it down to 0.25mm (thickness of average printing paper) as 0.6 is already above the nozzle diameter.
With 0.6 Homing distance and first layer height of 0.35 you get a real first layer height of about 0.8mm!
The other settings look quite good.
[quote=“ichbinsnur”]If you really set your Z homing to 0.6mm this will be the cause.
Try to get it down to 0.25mm (thickness of average printing paper) as 0.6 is already above the nozzle diameter.
With 0.6 Homing distance and first layer height of 0.35 you get a real first layer height of about 0.8mm!
The other settings look quite good.[/quote]
Sorry, that piece of receipt paper is actually 0.06mm, I’ve no idea where that extra 0 went.
I’m getting much better prints now, seems that my PLA is very not 3mm, the original piece I tested came in at 2.99mm avg, but now I’m testing every 10cm or so and the average is falling fast, I actually set my PLA thickness in Slicer to 2.95mm and my prints are much better.
My next invention I think will be a way to measure the thickness of the PLA on the way into hot end and adjust the steps on the fly.
That may be some overkill.
just set a good average. i set it mostly between 2.9 and 2.95 depending on the actual used filament.
Still a bit messed up tho
Supposed to be
seems you are heavily underextruding.
did you set the correct nozzle size, filament diameter (measured) and a layer height below 3/4 of nozzle diameter?
[quote=“ichbinsnur”]seems you are heavily underextruding.
did you set the correct nozzle size, filament diameter (measured) and a layer height below 3/4 of nozzle diameter?[/quote]
For that print
I had the Filiment Diameter set to 2.92mm (not bad for 3mm filament, it wasn’t even cheap filament!)
I had the Extrusion multiplier set to 1.1
My Layer height is 0.25mm
and my First Layer is 0.3mm
and what nozzle diameter did you set?
Stock, 0.5mm