Printing Micro Sportcam with LW-PLA
Need a little help in printing the Micro Sportcam. I’m currently having a very poor success rate in printing out the parts using Colorfabb LW-PLA. I have the two configurations’ files from www.3daeroventures.com.
3DAeroventures_LW-PLA_PrusaSlicer_Profile_bundle.ini
PrusaSlicer_3DAero_LW-PLA_Starter_Config.ini
The software that I’m slicing with is
PrusaSlicer
Version: 2.4.1-beta1+win64
Build: PrusaSlicer-2.4.1-beta1+win64-202202010918
Printing on Prusa Mini + printer
The biggest problem is the prints coming out looking like lace. I can print test cubes successfully (very tall ones to push the Z axis). Then jump into printing parts and it’s a waste of filament and time.
I've no idea what you mean by a Micro Sportcam - can you link to the file?
I'm fairly certain that website is one we see a lot of problems from ... there are settings that will help but first the printer has to be set up very accurately. Please run the first layer Z calibration and show us the print on the print-sheet.
Cheerio,
RE: Printing Micro Sportcam with LW-PLA
I'd never heard of LW-PLA so I looked it up. This is a specialty material with unusual properties. It may not be suitable for a bowden tube printer.
https://colorfabb.com/how-to-print-with-lw-pla
Cheers
-Bob
Prusa I3 Mk2 kit upgraded to Mk2.5s, Ender3 with many mods, Prusa Mini kit with Bondtech heat break, Prusa I3 Mk3s+ kit
RE: Printing Micro Sportcam with LW-PLA
Micro SportCam 3D Printed R/C Airplane — 3DAeroventures (www.3daeroventures.com/shop/microsportcam)
This is a 3D printed R/C airplane from this website. -Diem, the first picture is of the fuselage side in the Z axis. The picture in this post shows the canopy rear window area. I trim the STL file to print this area only to use as to use it as a test print to dial in the printer. I have multiple test runs and this is the best of the lot. -Bob, you might be right as this could be a Bowden print problem. I have included the gcode file to show the test part. No 3mf file as that will not be correct for setting needed to print.
Thank you for looking.
RE: Printing Micro Sportcam with LW-PLA
Based on that second image it looks like a problem with heat creep, or perhaps the PTFE tube in the hot end has shrunk and plastic is getting under the it. Maybe this will help:
https://prusa3d.dozuki.com/Guide/How+to+change+a+hotend+PTFE+tube+-+MINI/1505
I found the problem kept coming back so I replaced the stock heat break with the Bondtech heat break. I don't have enough hours on the Bondtech to say if this is a cure, I got many good prints before I started having problems, but if you want to check it out you can buy one here:
https://www.bondtech.se/product/bondtech-heat-break-for-prusa-mini/
However, this is a specialty material and we may not be the best place to get advice on this stuff.
Cheers
-Bob
Prusa I3 Mk2 kit upgraded to Mk2.5s, Ender3 with many mods, Prusa Mini kit with Bondtech heat break, Prusa I3 Mk3s+ kit
RE: Printing Micro Sportcam with LW-PLA
I do have the Bondtech heat break and extruder installed (very happy with them). LW-PLA might be a reach for the Mini to print cleanly. Have been finding weird little things following 3DAeroventures printing instructions. I think they lean heavily on Simply3D for all the printing files. Using another slicer, they have minimal instruction and ask that you do test prints to get the settings dialed in. After having done all that and moving on to printing the plane parts, I have found five parts needed to be printed in vase mode and with perimeters set at 2. In PursaSlicer you can't have both. Also, in vase mode you lose the top layer which the parts being printed need for assembly. Stuff like that is what I'm running into along with poor surfaces on the parts which will require standing them smooth. They are amazingly light compared to PLA.
I was looking to see if other Mini owners have tried LW-PLA and could point out settings that need to be changed and from there run test prints to dial in my printer.
Thank you
RE: Printing Micro Sportcam with LW-PLA
Good luck, I saw CNC Kitchen has a video with this stuff and he's using a Prusa I3, this stuff may benefit from the direct drive of the I3. Maybe this is your excuse to buy big brother.
Cheers
-Bob
Prusa I3 Mk2 kit upgraded to Mk2.5s, Ender3 with many mods, Prusa Mini kit with Bondtech heat break, Prusa I3 Mk3s+ kit
Have you read:
There is mention of specific parameters for model airplane printing.
Cheerio,
RE:
- Diem, 3DLabPrint.com is RC plane plans web site with really nice planes to print. They run the slicer to print the lightest plane possible. They were able to get Prusa to add a feature to do this with their planes. But with the Mini printer size their planes or not doable. The 3DAeroventures plane fits the Mini 180x180x180 print volume. My children got me the plans and LW-PLA filament this past Christmas. So, I have switched to Generic PLA to print the plane. - Bob, working with the Chief Procurement Officer (wife) on purchasing a i3 printer. 🙂
RE: Printing Micro Sportcam with LW-PLA
Good luck, it looks like a neat project you're working on. We live in fascinating times.
Cheers
-Bob
Prusa I3 Mk2 kit upgraded to Mk2.5s, Ender3 with many mods, Prusa Mini kit with Bondtech heat break, Prusa I3 Mk3s+ kit
RE: Printing Micro Sportcam with LW-PLA
Here are the settings I have found to print LW-PLA on the Mini. I did have a big problem with the extruder once the outside temperatures got into the upper 20's which brought the indoor humidity over 35%. The Bondtech extruder ground up the filament into chowder, even one time it chewed enough to make it foam up creating a blub on the end of the filament. Requiring me to take apart the thing to cut the blub off to remove the filament. Today we are in single digest temp's outside and the humidity is low. Printing wings hoping for the best.