Textured first layer
So no gaps in my first layer, but it is incredibly "textured" and the nozzle can rip up the filament layer if it gets snagged. Any ideas? Can't tell it my Z is too close or too far or if it's something else
RE: Textured first layer
Hard to place blame on 1 single issue. It could be a number of things, or even a combination.
Your first thought of z axis is a good start, I can't be certain by the picture but it seems that you have good clearance, although it wouldn't hurt to raise the z slightly to see if that helps.
What comes to mind for me is that the extruder isn't putting out enough filament and it's under extruding, so instead of it laying down the right amount while it travels the bed, it's dragging the extruded plastic as it moves. Increasing the feed rate might fix that issues.
Something else to think about is that the extruder temp is not hot enough, meaning that even if the stepper motor is rotating at the correct feed rate the tip isnt hot enough to adequately extrude the proper amount of plastic.
A lot of this is trial and error, but it's good to approach issues like this with some logic to try to rule out possibilities. Plus making slight adjustments to the printer to see what happens gets you more in tune with the printer.
RE: Textured first layer
As @sisterlimonpot spotted, your first layer is a little too squished, you need to raise the nozzle slightly.
You are close, so make a note of the current value before running the calibration again so you can go back and redo it if you overshoot.
At the end of the calibration you are aiming to print a single layer *sheet*. It should be possible to peel it off in one and fold it without the threads seperating. If it breaks into lines it is too high, not squished enough. If it is a single sheet but with wavy lines or drag marks on it you are too low.
Cheerio,
RE: Textured first layer
Dude your first layer is like squeltching into the bed start at a .2 mm layer height and do a first layer calibration. make sure that the filament doesn't have ripples on the top when it does the patch on the first layer calibration. The filament has to have a smooth surface on the top, almost like glass.
Regards, - TheMadCadder