RE: Check for moisture in filament
Your print looks good, but the fine stringing can be dealt with. If you're not aware, filament can absorb moisture. Moisture in filaments can definitely contribute to that sort of fine stringing. Even PLA, although not as hygroscopic as some filaments, can absorb moisture quickly in the right environmental conditions. We're having rainforest-like weather here in New England and it's definitely an issue this year. You might try another spool or try drying out your current spool before making any changes to your printer or slicer settings.Â
There are several filament dryers available, or you can make one fairly easily out of a cheap food dehydrator.Â
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
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Thank you for the information. The thing is that i have this filament opened since yesterday and it is in my house which has less than 40% humidity. Can it really absorb so much moisture that quickly even though it isn't hygroscopic? Also i am a new user and tomorrow i will receive the filaments i ordered. Now i am with the one included in the box.
It really depends on environmental factors
Thank you for the information. The thing is that i have this filament opened since yesterday and it is in my house which has less than 40% humidity. Can it really absorb so much moisture that quickly even though it isn't hygroscopic? Also i am a new user and tomorrow i will receive the filaments i ordered. Now i am with the one included in the box.
It can in a few days. Here's a link to a post I recently made showing the extremes over 4 days. I had started printing a spool of PLA with no issues and over a few days, the stringing got progressively worse until I dried the spool out. I've had minor issues, but this was the first time I experienced such a rapid change while doing one batch of prints.
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
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So the only cause of the stringing is moisture? If i want to dry the filament in an oven, what temperature should i choose and for how much time?
Don't use an oven!
So the only cause of the stringing is moisture? If i want to dry the filament in an oven, what temperature should i choose and for how much time?
No, it's not the only cause. However, Prusa filament used with Prusa profiles or gcode samples doesn't usually produce that stringing, so it's a likely culprit. In general, don't try using a normal oven. The temperature regulation is poor and they usually don't go low enough to reliably dry PLA. (Plus somebody might get hungry and ruin your spool.) I'm only suggesting that you wait for your new filament and try again before you start making wholesale changes to your printer or settings.
After eliminating the filament from consideration, I have a bunch of notes on how I eliminated fine stringing here that might be of interest.
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
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Well, as i was informed in another post, the filaments which comes bundled with the printer is made from "filament pm" and not prusa. So it could be just that it is not a good enough filament. I'll check your article. Thank you.
Filament PM is fine, but find an affordable and reliable local source
Well, as i was informed in another post, the filaments which comes bundled with the printer is made from "filament pm" and not prusa. So it could be just that it is not a good enough filament. I'll check your article. Thank you.
Filament PM is good stuff. They produced Prusa's filaments before Prusa moved production in-house. I'm sure Prusa would have dumped them by now if it was problematic. Unfortunately, Filament PM is a pain to get in the US and shipping is outrageous. Find a good supplier in your area and stick with 'em. If you're in the US, I have a list of suppliers I've used here. If you are in the US and happen to have a Microcenter nearby, their Inland brand is decent stuff.
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
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So it is moisture or i have to check the article you provided. Thank you very much for your replies.
Hard to say for sure...
So it is moisture or i have to check the article you provided. Thank you very much for your replies.
I can't say from here. I can say that trying another spool or drying the current spool would be a quick way to test. It would be a shame to make a whole bunch of changes and go down a rabbit hole over a simple filament issue. Get ahold of a different spool, or check out a filament dryer (you'll want one eventually). I know it's frustrating starting out. Your print looks very good otherwise though and you don't want to screw that up. Be patient!
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
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Yes i understand. Thank you. About the filament dryer, do you have any recommendations? Is it gonna work with just a bag with a zipper and a silica gel inside it or i need a active solution?
Many options for dryers
Yes i understand. Thank you. About the filament dryer, do you have any recommendations? Is it gonna work with just a bag with a zipper and a silica gel inside it or i need a active solution?
I was gifted a (somewhat overpriced) PrintDry v1 and quite like it. I've read good things about v2. Search these forums for info about the Gourmia and others that can hold 6-9 spools at a time if you don't mind spending a bit more. There are Sunlu and others that are often on sale. They're dead-simple devices, so don't spend too much. I store the dried spools in 2 gallon Ziploc freezer bags with a fresh packet of desiccant and that generally avoids the problem.
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
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So the bag isn't the solution but a avoidance measure. I see, thank you.
Correct
So the bag isn't the solution but a avoidance measure. I see, thank you.
That is correct. Desiccant can absorb small amounts of moisture to keep it off your filament in a bag, but it can't dry filament that has absorbed moisture.
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
Print dry for the win
Swiss cheese encouraged me to get a print dry and I can’t recommend it enough.
print dry
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Swiss cheese encouraged me to get a print dry and I can’t recommend it enough.
Concur. Â Print dry is awesome. Â I think they have another winner:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/730230926/smart-vacuum-filament-containers-by-printdry
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
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Thank you very much, all of you.Â