The graveyard...
I'm on attempt six or seven trying to print a high static pressure fan blade I found on thingverse. Perhaps it's a bit above my skill level, I've only printed frogs and a gear so far, but it would be a very useful thing for me to have.
Numerous fails with two that almost completed. I really thought the one on the left would complete but something happened at the top. For the one on the right I slowed the print speed, lowered the fan speed, and increased the temp from 200 to 210. The lower blades are better than the one one the left but this one also started to delaminate right after the highest support was complete.
I'm now 2 hours in on yet another attempt, the full print take 6hrs, This time I'm not changing any settings on the printer like lowering fan speed, temps, etc. Instead everything is done with PrusaSlicer - I set the min / max fan speed to 80% 100%, extrusion multiplier to 1.1, temp to 210°, and a couple other things I don't recall.
I also spend some time testing out bondtech gear tension, following numerous tips and guides I found, and I did a push through temperature test with my filament. Hardly scientific but I was surprised I could still push it through without excessive force at 170° and 240° didn't require noticeably less force than 220°.
I hope I'm going in the right direction and get at least a completed and functional fan this round. In the fan bladed in the images there is are noticeable variations in the density along some of the layers. Is this indicative of anything specific?
Thanks,
jay
RE: The graveyard...
Ug! I really thought this would be the one. I kept a regular eye on the print and the quality of the layers was better than the previous attempts. At about 85% I got up to make some dinner and a few minuted later I heard a couple clicks. I've heard them before and the print continued so I just carried on.
When I got back to my desk I could hear it clicking quite a lot and looked to see that it had stopped extruding! Crap! I checked the bondtech gear and the filament was in line, I did adjust about .5mm, and I pulled it to check the marking. Photos are below. I re-loaded the filament by hand and I could feel a bit of blockage a little above the nozzle but it wasn't much to push it through.
Too late for another run tonight so I'll try again tomorrow. This print does appear to be less streaky / blotchy than previous attempts.
jay
RE: The graveyard...
You are printing the blade on the wrong axis; a fan shouldn't be printed vertical like that; at least not easily, nor well.
Place the hub down and try again. The blades will have a serious amount of deformity and turbulence; it won't be efficient nor silent; but the chance of a print success will be better.
RE: The graveyard...
On a related note: have you printed anything abrasive? Glow in the dark; carbon fiber; or similar?