First layer fine, prints fail!
Hi there, I did the full wizard setup over and over and did the live Z first layer calibration test and all seems well. I noticed I frequently have to unload and reload the filament to get the filament to extrude but once it does and I start a print, PLA oozes out of the nozzle and when the printer goes to mesh level, the pla is pushed up against the nozzle and forms a small blob. Most of it is wiped off when the print begins and for the first few lines of the first layer everything is fine provided the printer is printing slowly. And I mean, real slow. 50%. As soon as the printer moves to a new part of the bed (I am printing multiple objects on the same bed) and begins a new part - boom - blob. I would have expected the blob however to just increase and become huge, however the blob that forms is small and seems to clog the nozzle. Right?
Unload filament, reload filament.... extrudes fine...
Previously I had printed in PETG with zero problems. Then PLA issues started as described above. So I changed nozzles thinking it might be a clog. And still the same issues.
I am tearing my hair out at this point.
Any advice?
RE: First layer fine, prints fail!
Blobs usually don't plug the nozzle, instead they drop off at inopportune times of continue and foul the hot end.
First: Are you sure the blob is coming from nozzle ooze? Or is there a chance the blob is a leak out the top of the heater block?
If you didn't closely follow the E3D nozzle change procedure - the usual result is a leaking hot end, filament is forced out the heat break or nozzle threads, forming rather large blobs that drip. Also, a loose hot end will drip until the melt zone is empty, and must be refilled before a print (sometimes a purge will be enough, sometimes not). Aluminum, brass, stainless: different metals with different coefficients of thermal expansion: they must be tightened while the assembly is hot, 280-285c. If tightened at lower temps, the moment the assembly heats to 200+, things are sloppy loose again. There's also a need to ensure the heat break and nozzle are in proper contact. If you get the nozzle too deep in the heater block, you also end up with loose parts.
RE: First layer fine, prints fail!
Hi there,
Definitely not coming from an incorrectly installed nozzle. I stood there watching it myself. From my other post I gather I screwed the hotend at 90 degrees to where it should be so this might well be causing issues. When I correct this I will post back.
RE: First layer fine, prints fail!
Yeah - I was a bit flummoxed when I first assembled my MK3... wires should go out the rear, right?
But that shouldn't affect ooze. So let's hope I'm wrong... lol.