New MK4S (kit), printing Benchy issues
I just finished assembling my new MK4S. The initial calibration passed with no issues. My first print, using the royal blue PLA sample that came with the kit, was the Benchy model. I was amazed at the speed with which the printer was printing! However, the final print had some issues. The main issue is the little chimney on top of the boat was not cylindrical - it ended up kinda pinched horizontally. I tried moving the printer to a sturdier table, then printed again and got the exact same result. I even re-ran the calibration on the sturdier table, but the print result was the same.
All of my settings are defaults, I'm new to FDM printing. I have a hunch that I should somehow slow the printer down. I'm thinking the chimney is such a small part that the plastic isn't fusing or cooling fast enough to keep up with the print head? But I don't know what to set it to.
Is there a resource somewhere that teaches which settings to change to what based on what you're printing?
TIA
D
RE: New MK4S (kit), printing Benchy issues
Please post pictures of the printed Benchy, it's then much easier for us to figure out the issues.
I sometimes wish Prusa didn't include the Benchy files: If you were astonished by the speed you probably weren't printing a regular Benchy.
The original, vanilla Benchy is a useful test when troubleshooting an ailing printer, otherwise it is a useless trinket. Unfortunately printing a Benchy faster than (insert competitor) has become a status badge and there are even competitions where printing something vaguely resembling a Benchy in a few seconds is somehow considered 'a good thing.'
For a meaningful test go to: https://www.3dbenchy.com/ and download the original .stl file; slice and print it. Expect it to take about 40 minutes depending on the settings/presets you selected.
I'm not sure which files Prusa is currently supplying with your kit but from time to time they have supplied differing pre-sliced Benchys including the truly idiotic 'Bonkers Benchy' which prints in under ten minutes but so violently that the printer may need recalibrating afterwards... It is useless for diagnostics.
There are probably a couple of other more sensible first files supplied, usually a useful scraper, a filament guide and a keychain fob. But don't bother with torture tests like the Benchy 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.
https://help.prusa3d.com/article/regular-printer-maintenance-mk4_419000
All that said, I have never printed a Benchy; I have never needed to in on over seven years of owning 3D printers 'though I have seen hundreds at trade shows and pictures of many more so until I have some intractable printing problem I will save the filament.
Cheerio,
RE: New MK4S (kit), printing Benchy issues
Here are a couple of pictures. The main issue is the chimney on top, but I also noticed the front of the hull looks burned.
Thanks,
D
Please post pictures of the printed Benchy, it's then much easier for us to figure out the issues.
RE: New MK4S (kit), printing Benchy issues
Thank you for your reply! It certainly made me feel a lot better. I'm currently running some prints from Saucermen Studios (which was the primary reason I bought this printer - my Anycubic Photon Mono X is old and isn't big enough!) The first small print came out 99.9% flawless, and I'm currently printing the biggest part, running at 70% speed and using the 0.10mm FAST DETAIL profile and so far the detail is amazing.
RE: New MK4S (kit), printing Benchy issues
If I'm not mistaken the droopy front hull and the squished smoke stack are primarily caused by lack of strong cooling. Is your part cooling fan working properly? Is your nozzle inserted all the way up inside the print head? I don't know for sure but I'd think the cooling fan wouldn't work as well if the nozzle wasn't fully inserted because it would be sitting lower than expected. See step 33 in the assembly guide, the third picture specifically:
https://help.prusa3d.com/guide/5-nextruder-assembly_707767#714816
RE: New MK4S (kit), printing Benchy issues
The fans pass the calibration test and the nozzle is fully inserted. I agree, it seems like a cooling issue, which is why I tried printing at a lower speed, but that didn't help.
Prints that are not included on the original USB seem to be working great. I'm suspecting it's a problem with the file provided and not the printer.
@darkmattermaker is right, that type of error is usually a cooling issue - perhaps a misaligned or damaged fan shroud, sometimes a partially clogged fan or, if it's *only* occurring with PLA *in an enclosure* or cupboard, a sign the door should be left open.
running at 70% speed and using the 0.10mm FAST DETAIL
For most prints 0.1mm is unnecessary unless there is considerable vertical detail; with a 0.4mm nozzle 0.2mm layers are usually fine.
Gaming terrain can become a trap - it's easy to print more and more detailed pieces that then become too specific and can only be used once, a few low detail generic buildings and a little imagination are far more versatile.
Cheerio,