How to get rid of horizontal lines?
Hi, I have checked the X and Y belts of my i3MK3S+ to make sure that they are within acceptable tension ranges. However, when printing objects with vertical walls, I still have the kind of protruded and groovy horizontal lines showing up across on the vertical walls. Sometimes what appears to be a benchy line is protruded but sometimes it is like a thin groove as if somebody used a knife to scratch on the surfaces. Several of such lines show up. Please let me know how to get rid of them? Thank you
RE: How to get rid of horizontal lines?
I'm not sure, but those lines look more like problems with extrusion than with XY axis movement.
RE:
If they are caused by extrusion, what parameter and value do you recommend of changing? I do noticed that on the other side, there are lots of stringing. Could be related, could be unrelated.
RE:
Some possibilities of what the problem is, if this is inconsistent extrusion and not something else:
- partly clogged nozzle
- filament of inconsistent diameter
- tension on your extruder idler might be wrong
- debris in extruder gears
- failure of temperature control due to bad heater or thermistor wiring
It's normal to see stringing on concave areas and not convex ones, since the strings only point in directions the nozzle moves — the nozzle doesn't move outside of the rounded outside surface, so that surface will never have strings (unless you print multiple copies of the part).
RE:
Thank you very much for the list.
- At the beginning of each print, I cleaned the nozzle and made sure it extruded properly so I guess it may not be partly clogged.
- Filament of inconsistent diameter. Not sure as it is difficult to even use a digital caliber to measure the thickness. Each time I got different readings even at the same location depending on how tight I closed the gripping opening. Is there a good way to get consistent readings?
- How to check tension of the extruder idler? I did loosen it before the last print.
- Do you mean the gear seen after the idler door is opened? It is clean.
- Temperature. Does printing in cold weather increase the chance of having poorer prints?
RE: How to get rid of horizontal lines?
Some possibilities of what the problem is, if this is inconsistent extrusion and not something else:
- partly clogged nozzle
- filament of inconsistent diameter
- tension on your extruder idler might be wrong
- debris in extruder gears
- failure of temperature control due to bad heater or thermistor wiring
It's normal to see stringing on concave areas and not convex ones, since the strings only point in directions the nozzle moves — the nozzle doesn't move outside of the rounded outside surface, so that surface will never have strings (unless you print multiple copies of the part).
Also interested in how to adjust the tension of the extruder idler. I just set mine to be level with the outside. I assumed at some point the instructions would say how to adjust it further but either it didn't or I missed it.
RE: How to get rid of horizontal lines?
- At the beginning of each print, I cleaned the nozzle and made sure it extruded properly so I guess it may not be partly clogged.
When you watch it extrude, does the plastic come out straight downward? If it bends to the side, that could be a sign of a clog.
- Filament of inconsistent diameter. Not sure as it is difficult to even use a digital caliber to measure the thickness. Each time I got different readings even at the same location depending on how tight I closed the gripping opening. Is there a good way to get consistent readings?
I don't have any advice here or for a couple other of your questions, sorry. I haven't had this sort of problem — I'm mostly reporting general advice I've learned.
- Temperature. Does printing in cold weather increase the chance of having poorer prints?
Yes, but not this way. If the ambient temperature is cold (or if there's a draft or a fan blowing towards the printer), it cools the perimeter of the bed, so you have a higher chance of the print warping or detaching from the bed. Worth knowing about, but not the problem you're having.
I was thinking of one of the problems that I did have with my printer — when I assembled it early on, it would print very poorly and then eventually reported a temperature sensor error. It turned out that the hotend temperature sensor had a bad wire joint, so it was intermittent as the extruder moved. Something like that could account for changes as the Z axis moved upward. Not very likely, though.
Another cause of vertical artifacts can be if the shape of the print changes a lot from layer to layer — cooling plastic contracts a bit, resulting in a pulling force that can warp the print or introduce visible lines around the edge. Your print looks smooth, but perhaps it has features on the side we can't see?
RE: How to get rid of horizontal lines?
- Filament of inconsistent diameter. Not sure as it is difficult to even use a digital caliber to measure the thickness. Each time I got different readings even at the same location depending on how tight I closed the gripping opening. Is there a good way to get consistent readings?
There are all sorts of instruction on the web for using calipers. But it seem almost all of them skip that important part.
My advice would be to not close the calipers too tight. Think tight enough to hold something a few grams, but no more. You want to avoid bending/deforming either what you are measuring or the calipers themselves. One thing to try. Close the calipers lightly and zero it out. Then practice opening and closing it. You should be able to hit 0.0 repeatedly. Do it enough to get the feel for the correct amount of pressure. Then do the same with whatever you want to measure. Also do the measurement several times as well to be sure you are getting consistent readings.
First dry your filament. Moisture boiling off in the extruder messes with the pressure.
Then visit:
https://help.prusa3d.com/en/article/clogged-nozzle-hotend-mk3s-mk2-5s_2008
but go first to the bottom section headed "Clean the Bondtech gears"
Cheerio,