Is ABS supposed to have weird layers ?
Hello everyone, I've owned my Mk3S+ ( kit ) for a few weeks now and I'm doing my first ABS prints. The printer is stock and I am printing with the basic generic ABS settings, in an enclosure. The filament is a few years old but has been dried for 6 hours.
I've noticed these larger lines on the entire height of the print when the light hits it right. It can also be felt by touch. Is this a bad thing ? It doesn't look like it would compromise the strength of the part, but it doesn't look like any clean print I've made.
My first thought would be over extrusion causing lines to be larger. I have changed the idler tension but nothing happened, and I've verified just yesterday that my extruder gears were clean.
This is when you don't see really see the issue, when the light is more perpendicular to the print : 
And this is when you see it the most : 
For reference, I printed this Squirtle just before in PLA and it came out normal : 
It would be awesome if someone could inform me about what's happening,
Thank you
RE: Is ABS supposed to have weird layers ?
If you are printing ABS in an enclosure, you are going to need to increase your part cooling over the stock settings in PS which are meant for an unenclosed printer.
Clean and lubricate your smooth rods then check your belts' tension. Any better?
Cheerio,
RE: Is ABS supposed to have weird layers ?
If you are printing ABS in an enclosure, you are going to need to increase your part cooling over the stock settings in PS which are meant for an unenclosed printer.
Would the cooling be like PETG, at around 50 % ? This is the first time I'd try cooling ABS, but would it change anything on straight walls ?
Clean and lubricate your smooth rods then check your belts' tension. Any better?
Cheerio,
It's true that my rods are not clean, there is grease where the x, y and z axes start and stop. I'll try cleaning them with some alcohol when I get the chance. My belts are at around 260, according to the printer, wich I think is in the recommended values
RE: Is ABS supposed to have weird layers ?
IIRC, for ASA I started with the Prusament settings, raised part cooling to 60% (incrementally but that's where I stopped), and I also started the part cooling on the 2nd layer instead of the 4th which significantly improved appearance at those layers. With ABS your mileage will probably vary somewhat, but once you are printing in an enclosure you'll still want to use part cooling.
My belts are at around 260, according to the printer, wich I think is in the recommended values
The belt tension figure is a measure of the resistance felt by the stepper when moving the axis. On a correctly set up machine this does equate, roughly, to belt tension.
But other things can affect mechanical resistance.
Make your next print this:
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/46639-tension-meter-for-the-gt2-belts-of-i3-mk3s-or-prus
It MUST be printed in Prusament PETG or the spring tension will be wrong.
Cheerio,
RE: Is ABS supposed to have weird layers ?
IIRC, for ASA I started with the Prusament settings, raised part cooling to 60% (incrementally but that's where I stopped), and I also started the part cooling on the 2nd layer instead of the 4th which significantly improved appearance at those layers. With ABS your mileage will probably vary somewhat, but once you are printing in an enclosure you'll still want to use part cooling.
Alright I'll try that when I can, thanks for the info
My belts are at around 260, according to the printer, wich I think is in the recommended values
The belt tension figure is a measure of the resistance felt by the stepper when moving the axis. On a correctly set up machine this does equate, roughly, to belt tension.
But other things can affect mechanical resistance.
Make your next print this:
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/46639-tension-meter-for-the-gt2-belts-of-i3-mk3s-or-prus
It MUST be printed in Prusament PETG or the spring tension will be wrong.
Cheerio,
Too bad I don't have Prusament (yet), but this isn't the first time I hear about this print so I'll do it soon enough.