First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.  

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

Definitely a little low and maybe some under extrusion.  I would start fixing one thing and that would be the first layer.  Raise it a little on the Z offset and redo the first layer calibration.  

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

Here is what  have settled on its at 1.283. When I push my finger nail across it feels as smooth as it could possibly get. What are the things I should look into about under-extrusion?

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

Is your fan working?

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

Both the Hotend fan and the print fan run. while printing.

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

Hi, sorry for asking a really basic question, but I just built my MKS3+, and am trying to do my first layer test.  I have cleaned my steel sheet, but the PLA filament is not adhering to the print bed at all... I get maybe a couple inches of adhesion when it first starts printing, and then it isn't sticking to the bed, which results in the filament just bunching up on the extruding nozzle for 99% of the print.  I'm not even sure what to try and change?  Thank you for your help!

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

I have solved my initial issue. I had a loose screw in the pulley on the y and one in the extruder idle. I Am also now having a similar issue to Jtimmes where my print sticks but comes off after some printing past the first layer. Going to see if i can troubleshoot it.

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

@jtimmes

You are probably not low enough.  Photos of the first layer calibration help.

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

@nic-4

I would try and print the Prusa name plate or something smaller before the benchie.  

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

@cwbullet

Here we are. Most if notable problems solved. Do you think going a little closer on the z-offset would make the separations on the first image (the back) less noticeable?

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

@cwbullet

Thanks so much for your guidance on the Z-offset not being low enough.  After a few iterations, I think I have that mostly correct.  The problem I'm having now appears to be more with first layer adhesion to the steel plate (since I plan on mostly working in PETG, I got the textured plate, not the smooth).  I'm doing these first test prints with the PLA spool the printer came with.  Here are a couple examples:

First, the prusa_test_pattern consistently has the bottom left corner of the center rectangle peel up... this eventually causes the print to fail (the extruder pops it off the plate) right around 31% or so through the print:

The Prusa name plate print succeeds, but the right side of the plate peels up from the sheet... fortunately this doesn't cause the print to fail, but I'm sure this isn't supposed to be happening:

I have cleaned the sheet with 91% isopropyl alcohol a couple of times, and it doesn't seem to change the results.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... is PLA on the textured sheet regularly an issue for people?

Thank you!

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

Quick update, I increased the heatbed temp from 60 to 65, and my prints don't seem to be peeling up from the bed anymore!

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

@jtimmes

Good news.  When finished printing, can put post an image of the plate side of the print?  

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

Sure, I didn't save the Prusa name plate, but I did print the bottle opener yesterday.  Here's pics of the front and back (not perfect, but looking pretty good to me... would welcome any advice on additional changes):

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

Update: I switched to PETG, and changed the temps in the name plate G-code (I used 1st layer print temp of 245, additional layers at 240, and set the heatbed to 80).  I think it's looking even better than the PLA:

The little "hairs" on the front are barely visible (at least to my eyes that are gradually marching towards reading glasses), but if you have any guidance to improve this print further, I'm all ears!

RE: First time printer. calibration troubleshooting help needed.

Stringing with PETG is common.  It can be too little retraction or too much heat.