RE: My printer keeps making gaps without filament in my prints and test runs.
Based on the regular(ish) distances between gaps, my guess is filament stuck in the extruder grooves creating a smooth area where it can't push the filament properly. I usually clean it by opening the top of the extruder and scraping the filament out of each groove with a dental pick, then finish up with a can of air.
RE: My printer keeps making gaps without filament in my prints and test runs.
Thank you! I will try that right now.
Clean the sheet with dishwashing detergent (Dawn/Fairy) and plenty of HOT water, rinse well and dry with a fresh paper towel. Handle by the edges only.
Your first layer Z calibration needs to go lower, more squish.
Cheerio,
RE: My printer keeps making gaps without filament in my prints and test runs.
@happypenguin - Following on what @doug-5 mentioned; take a look at Regular maintenance (MINI) | Prusa Knowledge Base (prusa3d.com) - Extruder driver gear cleanup. And may be look also into your idler tension - do you get clicking sounds from the extruder?
RE: My printer keeps making gaps without filament in my prints and test runs.
Yes, your Z is too high..
Also ensure you have not gotten your spool winding crossed.. When the free end of the filament coils back.. (maybe you cut the end) it can get wound under other wraps.. If you haven't done it yet.. it *will* happen to you.. When this happens, at some point it gets pinned under a wrap and the extruder can't feed it.. I don't think this is happening here.. but something to check..