Help Needed - weird striations when printing
Latest print.
- Mini+ bought in 2021
- only running prusament petg (sealed spool from 2022, never opened so "fresh")
- have had one spaghetti / blob incident - cleaned it off and have been printing fine
- ran out of filament and had a piece stuck between the extruder and the hot end. undid the coupler and removed it.
- no other issues until recently had some weird first layer issues and striations when printing (later photos attached)
- Troubleshooting:
- heated up the hot end to burn out anything in it.
- removed the ptfe in the hotend and replaced it with the provided extra
- tightened belts for X,Y
- Printing looks better but still bad (first photo above)
The print on top is from when I first started printing, the one beneath is one of the latest prior to maintenance
Irregularity like that suggests resistance to movement so cleanliness and lubrication of the smooth rods are the first check, then the belt tensions.
https://help.prusa3d.com/en/article/regular-maintenance-mini_133222
With the power off, move the axis by hand; is it smooth? Does the resistance stay the same over the whole range?
Clean and lubricate the smooth rods, check they are not damaged/scratched. Check the idler pulley is not clogged, out of line, or damaged (loosen the belt and try turning it with your fingertip, is it smooth?)
With the belt loose try turning the stepper motor by hand; is it smooth?
Retighten the belt until it just begins to make a low musical note when plucked...
If the printer works, make your next print this:
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/46639-tension-meter-for-the-gt2-belts-of-i3-mk3s-or-prus
It MUST be printed in Prusament PETG or the spring tension will be wrong.
Let us know how you get on.
Cheerio,
RE:
I'll loosen the belt and check the pulley.
I have the gauge already and used that when I tightened things.
the first photo is after I made those changes - ringing was taken care of and the print is definitely better than the prior ones, but the discoloration/striation is there, it almost looks like a different color for the filament