Now that I have been using the Vertex for a couple of weeks, my prints are getting better and better. Taking into consideration the price level, I think the Vertex is a fantastic machine. Yes, there are issues with pulleys and such but overall, I love it!
I like to share my settings with you all, please feel free to throw in yours, see where we do things alike or where we can find improvements!
Right now, I typically print PLA like this:
Speed and Quality:
Speed: 20-50mm/sec (infill and inner perimeter can go up to 80mm/sec)
Travel: 250mm/sec
Temp: 190-200C (White currently prints on 190C, Colors typically on 200C)
Layer size: 0.2mm
First layer: 0.2mm, 100% flow (tried 0.3mm for that first layer which glued my PLA rock solid to the buildTak)
Filament (PLA)
Filament size: 1.73mm
Filament flow: 72% (was 74%, based on a calculation extruding 100mm and measured 134.5mm (100/134.5=74.3%)
Structures:
Shell thickness: 0.7mm or 1.05mm, depending on model strength needed
Top/bottom layer: 0.6mm - 1.0mm, most times I find myself using 0.8mm
Retraction (this really helped me getting rid of strings and other hairy effects):
Speed 150mm/sec
Distance: 3mm
I’m curious what you are using!
Erik
[EDIT]
I calibrated my extruder steps/mm (configuration.h) and adjusted some other firmware settings (loading/unloading settings in ultralcd.cpp) in the mean time.
I can now use 100% flow as basic setting for my filaments.
See this post: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=13710
[/EDIT]
This is a nice thread, that really should be helpful to a lot of people, especially newbies like me
I only started printing Dec 24th so this is the settings I currently use with a really good result, layer thickness of 1.05 really rocks the outcome but it takes forever to print And yes I know, as you will see I’m careful with the speed…
I’m using original vertex-repetier settings and I only have yellow, pink, green and red filament (all velleman PLA), but it’s pretty much the same quality of prints with them, maybe yellow has a “softer, nicer, smoother” flow though.
I copy/pasted your settings-order (And added one):
PLA:
Distance between nozzle and bed:
0.34mm
Speed and Quality:
Speed: 20mm/sec first layer then 60mm/sec
Infill and inner perimeter speed :60mm/sec
Travel: 90mm/sec
Temp: 195C
Layer size: 0.105 or 0.2025mm
First layer: 0.2025mm, 105% flow (tried 0.3mm for that first layer which often make my prints warp)
Filament (PLA)
Filament size: 1.75mm
Filament flow: 70%
Structures:
Shell thickness: 1.05mm, depending on model strength needed
[quote=“h60”]Now that I have been using the Vertex for a couple of weeks, my prints are getting better and better. Taking into consideration the price level, I think the Vertex is a fantastic machine. Yes, there are issues with pulleys and such but overall, I love it!
I like to share my settings with you all, please feel free to throw in yours, see where we do things alike or where we can find improvements!
Right now, I typically print PLA like this:
Speed and Quality:
Speed: 20-50mm/sec (infill and inner perimeter can go up to 80mm/sec)
Travel: 250mm/sec
Temp: 190-200C (White currently prints on 190C, Colors typically on 200C)
Layer size: 0.2mm
First layer: 0.2mm, 100% flow (tried 0.3mm for that first layer which glued my PLA rock solid to the buildTak)
Filament (PLA)
Filament size: 1.73mm
Filament flow: 72% (was 74%, based on a calculation extruding 100mm and measured 134.5mm (100/134.5=74.3%)
Structures:
Shell thickness: 0.7mm or 1.05mm, depending on model strength needed
Top/bottom layer: 0.6mm - 1.0mm, most times I find myself using 0.8mm
Retraction (this really helped me getting rid of strings and other hairy effects):
Speed 150mm/sec
Distance: 3mm
I’m curious what you are using!
Erik[/quote]
Hello h60,
here is my link http://forum.velleman.eu/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=13481 to the 3d prints. I found your post very helpful and from Raby too. You can see the difference before and after (Orange PLA bricks 2x2, 2x4 last Pictures) using your Settings. Only Shell thickness and Top/bottom layer is 0.8
[color=#BF0000]i would like to know if the Filament size over 1,75 (I measured 1,76-1,79mm Orange PLA what i’m using at the Moment) will it make any Problem?[/color]
Regards
Niyazi
Not sure why people get so worried about this. It will only affect the flow rate and we’re talking marginal differences at best.
In answer to the OP, I have changed very little from the default settings, except to reduce temperature to 200 and flow rate to 80%. Like most others, I find white to be a bit more fluid than other colours, so I lower the temp and flow rates further for that colour. I personally like the surface finish on yellow the best so far, but will be experimenting with red hopefully this weekend.
However, I’m curious to try changing the retraction settings as advised elsewhere on the forum to see if they improve “stringing” (which is a pretty minor issue, but if we can improve it then why not?).
It would be nice if people could post photos of their best surfaces. I know mobile phones in dark rooms aren’t going to give great detail, but we can get a rough idea:
Not sure why people get so worried about this. It will only affect the flow rate and we’re talking marginal differences at best.
In answer to the OP, I have changed very little from the default settings, except to reduce temperature to 200 and flow rate to 80%. Like most others, I find white to be a bit more fluid than other colours, so I lower the temp and flow rates further for that colour. I personally like the surface finish on yellow the best so far, but will be experimenting with red hopefully this weekend.
However, I’m curious to try changing the retraction settings as advised elsewhere on the forum to see if they improve “stringing” (which is a pretty minor issue, but if we can improve it then why not?).
It would be nice if people could post photos of their best surfaces. I know mobile phones in dark rooms aren’t going to give great detail, but we can get a rough idea: [/quote]
Hello Biscuitlad,
i asked about filament diameter because i’m new to 3d printing, i wanted only learn because of mechanical limitations. I’m very happy with my Vertex 3d printer. Can you please write the changes what you did in cura settings. I changed only Retraction speed to 150mm/sec and Retraction Distance to 3mm like many other user did. I think this improves print quality and precision.
p.s. your 3d printed bracelet looks great…
Regards
Niyazi
[quote=“niyoki”][quote=“biscuitlad”]…I have changed very little from the default settings, except to reduce temperature to 200 and flow rate to 80%. Like most others, I find white to be a bit more fluid than other colours, so I lower the temp and flow rates further for that colour…[/quote]…Can you please write the changes what you did in cura settings. I changed only Retraction speed to 150mm/sec and Retraction Distance to 3mm like many other user did…[/quote]I did… these are done in the filament profile config for cura.
[quote=“h60”]Now that I have been using the Vertex for a couple of weeks, my prints are getting better and better.
Filament (PLA)
Filament size: 1.73mm
Filament flow: 72% (was 74%, based on a calculation extruding 100mm and measured 134.5mm (100/134.5=74.3%)
Erik[/quote]
I’d like to share the result for the 3DHub Marvin model printed with the reduced filament flow of 72%. I was using 95% before, but after seeing this i’m not going back. Thanks guys for sharing these settings. The model was printed with Cura on Mac (not Repetier Host) using the SD card, black Velleman PLA. The picture was shot with 4 second exposure and 55mm/f5,6 lens (on a china plate).
Yeah, the extruder is way off. It’s better to set things straight in the firmware though; in my case the steps dropped from 200 to 150.94. (in configuration.h) #define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT {134.74,134.74,4266.66,150.94}
…Just fooling around…