Last weekend I did some printing tests in order to get my printer 100% calibrated ( if it’s possible ).
I want share some results with you guys you may be able to help me with the fine tuning.
1st Test - Dirty while moving between perimeters:
As the picture shows, for some reason the extruder is leaving a little bit of PLA while crossing the perimeter.
I know its not a MAJOR problem but I really want to get a “professional” print.
2nd Test - Strings, PLA deformation:
Okay this one is a major problem, well for some reason while I’m printing big holes in the piece, the edges starts to deform which makes the extruder hit the piece messing with the X, Y coordinates.
Also the strings are really annoying.
3rd Test - Bridge
Right, so far I’m almost happy with the results, I think to fix this problem I just need to reduce bridging speed, anyways, any advice is very welcome.
I was having very similar problems to you, and on doing a bit of research I discovered that the hot end supplied with the K8200 is…well not that great. The E3D V6 hotend was high recommended and I have since upgraded to that. While the problems you are experiencing in the first picture are still happening for me (although not as bad), the problems with #2 and #3 are almost non-existent just by switching to the V6.
So my recommendation would be to grab the V6, with either the 0.4mm or 0.3mm nozzle. I have the 0.4mm nozzle but I am seriously considering the 0.3mm for better accuracy (and longer print times).
Just remember with the V6 to change the settings in the slicer, most importantly is changing the nozzle size to match what you have but also take measurements of your filament diameter and use the average. I use 2.9mm for 3mm filament and that tends to give me pretty good results.
Also calibrating the steps for the extruder is quite important.
I was having very similar problems to you, and on doing a bit of research I discovered that the hot end supplied with the K8200 is…well not that great. The E3D V6 hotend was high recommended and I have since upgraded to that. While the problems you are experiencing in the first picture are still happening for me (although not as bad), the problems with #2 and #3 are almost non-existent just by switching to the V6.
So my recommendation would be to grab the V6, with either the 0.4mm or 0.3mm nozzle. I have the 0.4mm nozzle but I am seriously considering the 0.3mm for better accuracy (and longer print times).[/quote]
The stock extruder is really “not the best”. Upgrading to a E3D hotend will greatly improve performance. I did that too.
It will also allow you to print more materials, like flex or wood or even nylon! I made a mount for it to help printing flex materials.
(can post the link if you want)
Anyway, if you set retraction length to 2.5 - 3 mm ans retraction speed (EEProm settings") to at least 500mm it will help with the stringing.
[quote=“cpmedia”]
Just remember with the V6 to change the settings in the slicer, most importantly is changing the nozzle size to match what you have but also take measurements of your filament diameter and use the average. I use 2.9mm for 3mm filament and that tends to give me pretty good results.
Also calibrating the steps for the extruder is quite important.
Hope this helps![/quote]
The filament diameter should be set to an average of the measured filament diameter measured at different points.
The better you average tre real diameter the more consistent the extrusion will be. Just setting it to a fix value won’t work good.
The steps/mm for the extruder are very important too.
Both the setps/mm and filament diameter are used tu calculate the extrusion amout by the firmware.
Therefore, the closer you get to the real values the better it will perform.
Actually it’s worth noting that the recommended retraction settings for the V6 are only 0.8mm. I have mine set to 0.8mm and I have very little strings now. I am a bit concerned however that the default steps per mm for the extruder is 600, yet my calibration has taken it up to 800 with a 1.0 multiplier and the results are pretty good.
Looks to me like the temp is to high on the hot end
You should check the thermistor on the hot end to make sure it’s properly mounted
Set the temp to 190C.
This may help with the drops and stringing.
There might not be a lot you can do about the bridge.
Temperature is dependent on the type and manufacturer of the filament. For example the Velleman PLA works best at about 183c, while the filament I have sourced within Australia works best at 205c.
Also with regards to Bridging, the stock standard hot end doesn’t do bridges very well at all. Infact it doesn’t do anything very well at all. I highly recommend upgrading to the E3D V6 hotend with the 0.4mm or 0.3mm nozzle, it has improved my print quality 10 fold. Also consider swapping to 1.75mm filament as it is more popular.
Upgrading to a E3D hotend will greatly improve performance. I did that too.