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Can't seem to dial in my PolyTerra Blk PLA  

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Crab
 Crab
(@crab)
Reputable Member
Can't seem to dial in my PolyTerra Blk PLA

With help here, I've gotten my spool of silver Prusament PLA working fine, but my PolyTerra black PLA is spotty. I'm using the PrusaPLA settings for both. I have 3 pics.. From the line pic, and the round disk I printed, it looks like the z axis is too high. But I just lowered it quite a bit from the working height with the Prusament. In the square, I see really weird things in the microscope that I couldn't capture on my iPhone camera. It looks like there is molten walls forming up between the lines.. as if the head was snowplowing through and creating banks on the side. This seems really weird if my Z axis were too high. So wonder if anyone might explain what I'm seeing. Really appreciate the time people take to help the neophytes as these types of questions must be endless.

Best Answer by Neophyl:

I've been printing a lot recently with polyterra charcoal black.  About 3 spools worth so far.  On my MK3.

I have a steel nozzle fitted (nozzle x) which means I bump all my temps up 5 degrees normally anyway but I've been printing it at 200 first layer and 230c the rest with the bed at 50/53.  Cooling on mine is set to 85% too to give increased layer bonding (I print mainly functional parts).

I didn't need to adjust my live z for it either.  Banks on the side sounds like you are too low if its pushing it around like that.

It gives a fantastic finish.  Just completed a Pulse Rifle using the black and polyterra army brown.  

Posted : 11/03/2022 2:01 am
Neophyl
(@neophyl)
Illustrious Member
RE:

I've been printing a lot recently with polyterra charcoal black.  About 3 spools worth so far.  On my MK3.

I have a steel nozzle fitted (nozzle x) which means I bump all my temps up 5 degrees normally anyway but I've been printing it at 200 first layer and 230c the rest with the bed at 50/53.  Cooling on mine is set to 85% too to give increased layer bonding (I print mainly functional parts).

I didn't need to adjust my live z for it either.  Banks on the side sounds like you are too low if its pushing it around like that.

It gives a fantastic finish.  Just completed a Pulse Rifle using the black and polyterra army brown.  

Posted : 12/03/2022 10:43 pm
Crab
 Crab
(@crab)
Reputable Member
Topic starter answered:
RE:

I just discovered I had a crossed line in my black spool. It violently recoiled on one unload and I did not rewind carefully. So the extruder was seeing too much resistance from the spool and I had very inconsistent symptoms.. Rewinding the spool seemed to fix it, although I will keep my eye on the "snowploughing".. may need to raise the z a bit.

I bought all Poly spools.. a PETG, PLA and then 2 of the PolyTerra PLA.. the PolyTerra had been great until the crossed wire.. Think that will be my goto brand for a while. I like the matte finish on the Terra. Just trying the PolyLite PLA now.

Posted : 12/03/2022 10:53 pm
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