Friend's MK3 printing much better than my MK4. Any idea why?
I'm struggling with my Prusa Mk4 printer to match the prints coming off two friends Mk3 printers. One problem I have is that I seem to be printing at a lower resolution / number of layers (see image - Mk3 left, Mk4 print right).
This is the small .stl file: CM Alternative.stl and this is how I've sliced it for my Mk4 to Gcode: CM Alternative.gcode. This is using the default settings in Prusa slicer (The latest version). My printer doesn't seem to be able to print a nice even first layer outline. It can be perfect for one half, but rough for another half of it. I've tried three different PLA filaments (two direct from Prusa), recallibrating the printer, adjusting the live Z-value height, various heats, various slower speeds, 3DLac, prittstik, Isopropanol / soapy water to clean the plate then rinse and dry... two different metal sheets (again both from Prusa)... Still seems rough compared to those Mk3 prints. I did self-assemble the Mk4. The Benchy print seems good though.
Any help appreciated. Am I slicing incorrectly? Do I need to rebuild the printer starting with the print-head/sensor? Something seems wrong, and I can't work it out.
Best Answer by Diem:
You appear to be using a 0.4mm nozzle but your first layer is set at 0.35mm with 0.3mm layers - this is not a default and is a recipe for problems.
What happens if you select one of the default 0.2mm layer presets? This part should work well with them.
Your friend is probably using 0.2mm or 0.15mm layers 'though there's no detail here that merits layers under 0.2mm
Cheerio,
G-code isn't much use here, better to provide a .3MF project file.
Slice your part as if you were going to print it, then:
Files > Save Project as
Zip the .3mf and post it here. It will contain both your part and your settings for us to diagnose.
Cheerio,
RE: Friend's MK3 printing much better than my MK4. Any idea why?
Thank you. Here's the zip CM Alternative and if there's any problem with the unzipping, here's a Dropbox version too: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lrsva6bepmty94kfe72g8/CM-Alternative.3mf?rlkey=fskys99trtdq29raksolpn8sn&dl=0 . Appreciate your time.
You appear to be using a 0.4mm nozzle but your first layer is set at 0.35mm with 0.3mm layers - this is not a default and is a recipe for problems.
What happens if you select one of the default 0.2mm layer presets? This part should work well with them.
Your friend is probably using 0.2mm or 0.15mm layers 'though there's no detail here that merits layers under 0.2mm
Cheerio,
RE: Friend's MK3 printing much better than my MK4. Any idea why?
Ooof, oh Mon Dieu! I'm such a doughnut. What a massive improvement. The printer's also running about 4 times the speed. I'm not sure why Slicer wasn't displaying the Mk4 defaults, but I ran the wizard again and it is now, which I need to apply to all my 3D prints to replace the bad Gcode I made. Thanks so much, Diem.