First layer roughness issue
Hello!
I've recently been having problems printing with some prusa PLA on my Mk3S+ . There was some big layer gapping, which i solved by turning down my retraction under 2mm. But then there's this roughness on the first layer which is really odd
And here's a link in case the image doesn't work
Someone on a forum ages ago suggested it may be my nozzle/Z offset is too low. It's currently around -1.15mm. But if I raise it any higher during the first layer calibration, the corners of the zigzag don't adhere to the bed, and the whole thing comes off, or isn't as clean as it should be.
For other information I'm printing at around 212C on a 60-65C bed, ive tried flow ranging from 100-85, and I'm using prusa slicer. I'm using a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height, though this also shows up on lower heights. Some of my common printing issues go away when using cura, so I tried that, but this print needs to be cut in half and cura doesn't have a tool for that, at least not one that provides connectors.
Any assistance would be really appreciated.
Some of those rough patches look like a fingerprint pattern and there are visible smears on the print sheet so a thorough clean should help: Dishwashing detergent (Dawn/Fairy) and plenty of HOT water are my suggestion.
That said, your smooth sheet is looking tired, how old is it? If the other side is similar it might be time for a replacement.
Cheerio,
RE:
Thank you for the advice! I've cleaned it with dish soap before but not in a bit, so thats probably a good idea. I work in a maker space and though I tell people not to touch the plate, it never stops them.
However, I'm not sure if that's the specific problem here. I didn't manage to get a good video, but after making this post i decided to try one more time. When I crouched down and looked from the side it looked like the printer was just randomly adding extra blobs of filament. I considered that it might be filament from buildup on the nozzle but this was right after I scrubbed the whole thing with a steel brush so I don't think that's it. When viewed from the bottom it also looks like it's a problem with the printer depositing too much, with signs of squishing, not lifting up. I didnt manage to get a good picture of the bottom as my second try is currently still going, but if i do I will update.
There are no signs of blobs on the clean area in your picture - your nozzle may be scraping off and redepositing high points; your filament looks reasonably good too so a clean and perhaps trying the other side of the print sheet would be my first plan - try that and come back if problems persist.
Cheerio,