Advice / Help with first prints
Hello to all of you!
I´m fairly new to 3D printing in general and assembled my MK4S kit this week. What a ride so far.
I finished the set up just yesterday and started to print some easy things that were already stored on the USB-drive that was delivered with the MK4S.
The installation self test went through without any trouble, everyting seems fine to me.
So I decided to print the prusa key chain first and notice on my very first print small gaps / holes and some kind of scratches?
I tried some different basic pre-sets from PursaSlicer and some different materials but the general issue didn´t resolve.
Then I changed to the 0,25 nozzle and very small layer height. It smoothens out a lot of the gaps but some minimal are there and I´m fine with that.
But I´m curious, if there is a possibility to achiev similar results with the 0,4 nozzle. The most of the pictures on printables looks like the figured out how to resolve the issue.
My assumptions is that the gaps come from maybe the perimeter settings? But really I don´t have a real clue. To be honest I have a hard time to google for the issue , as I don´t know a lot so far about the proper terms and words.
To print something different than just keychains I´ve printed a 3D Boat Benchy, and I´m pretty good with the results. Just one issue i notice on the back side of the boat (see picutre 2), I would like to know this error is called.
Many thanks in advanced for your replys, they are very much appreaciated!
(1 picture is cropped, there are 4 key chains; but just 2 are displayed in the preview)
Best Answer by Neophyl:
The gaps in the top surfaces are there because the nozzle size/extrusion width cant fit into the areas fully, hence the gaps. Smaller nozzle means it can get into the nooks and crannies better. Again there's stuff you can try but its very hard to get it completely filled in with some geometries. You could make the top layers have loads of perimeters for example, that 'sometimes' can help.
The back side of the benchy is the seam. It's where a layer start/ends. You can't really get rid of it (unless printing in a special mode called vase mode which is only possible with certain geometries as its a single continuous perimeter). The slicers seam position settings can be used to determine where the seam is placed and normally it will try to hide it in corners. You can also define where it goes manually by painting the seam line.
While you cant get rid of it, with careful tuning of your printer and especially the filament profiles you can minimise it.
RE: Advice / Help with first prints
The gaps in the top surfaces are there because the nozzle size/extrusion width cant fit into the areas fully, hence the gaps. Smaller nozzle means it can get into the nooks and crannies better. Again there's stuff you can try but its very hard to get it completely filled in with some geometries. You could make the top layers have loads of perimeters for example, that 'sometimes' can help.
The back side of the benchy is the seam. It's where a layer start/ends. You can't really get rid of it (unless printing in a special mode called vase mode which is only possible with certain geometries as its a single continuous perimeter). The slicers seam position settings can be used to determine where the seam is placed and normally it will try to hide it in corners. You can also define where it goes manually by painting the seam line.
While you cant get rid of it, with careful tuning of your printer and especially the filament profiles you can minimise it.
RE: Advice / Help with first prints
Wow, many thanks for your explanation! That helped me a lot 🙂
I will try to play around with the settings for seam and look forward to learn more. Many thanks again!
RE: Advice / Help with first prints
with details like lettering, having a single perimeter sometimes allows more space for infill and can help close gaps. 
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
I would rate those prints as good enough for the first month.
Every user builds their printer slightly differently and pre-built models are shaken up in transit so during the first few weeks of use the printer will run-in and settle its parts together; then you will have to go over the basic maintenance checks, lubricate and recalibrate. Even if you got everything dialled in perfectly today, it would all need re-doing.
Better to settle, temporarily, for a basic working printer and get some useful printing done, make your early mistakes, establish a routine and generally get used to the process. Then when you do your one month service you can take extra care knowing the new settings on your now stable printer are likely to last for several months.
The keytags are designed to be easy to print for a beginner to make something even with a poorly built machine. The Benchy is a torture test intended to test the precision of a finely tuned one. In one sense there is little point in attempting a benchy until after your first maintenance session.
https://help.prusa3d.com/article/regular-printer-maintenance-mk4_419000
Cheerio,
RE: Advice / Help with first prints
Hi Joan,
thanks! I will try it when i finished my current print.
If I understand correctly this setting will "override" the normal perimeter setting, that e.g. is set to 3; and only for top layer, right?
BR
Till
RE: Advice / Help with first prints
Yes, it will override the normal number of perimeters, in all of the top layers, so if the model has more than one upper level, they will all have only one perimeter,
there is a different option, which only changes the absolute top layer, I have never used tis option.
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK