Odd Thick Strings on Some Instances
I've been printing a few of these micro knives for the guys I coach hockey with. I've been printing them 8 at a time, in PrusaMent PETG. They are great to toss in a coaches bag.
A funny thing has been happening though, I've been getting a few thick threads coming off of a select row. This has happened on the last two runs, in the same place. I could probably stand to put the filament in the dryer, but I don't think that is what is causing this, because if that were the case then all instances would have it right?
I wouldn't call it stringing, this is thicker. Any ideas on what would cause it in the areas shown? I also attached my slicer file if that helps. Thanks!
Best Answer by R&D:
@razor
That is stringing, the thicker parts are what happens when the thinner wisps compound, they start to join as the print progresses. You need to Dry that filament, and set your retractions and Lift Z in "filament Overrides" to retractions 1.4 and Lift Z 0.2. Definitely Dry that filament.
Other things that will help but aren't mandatory to fix the problem, would be to turn off "Ensure vertical shell thickness" and turn on "Avoid crossing perimeters" and leave it set to Zero.
With the settings I suggested, and dry filament your problem should go away.
Mini+MK3S+XL 5 Tool
RE: Odd Thick Strings on Some Instances
@razor
That is stringing, the thicker parts are what happens when the thinner wisps compound, they start to join as the print progresses. You need to Dry that filament, and set your retractions and Lift Z in "filament Overrides" to retractions 1.4 and Lift Z 0.2. Definitely Dry that filament.
Other things that will help but aren't mandatory to fix the problem, would be to turn off "Ensure vertical shell thickness" and turn on "Avoid crossing perimeters" and leave it set to Zero.
With the settings I suggested, and dry filament your problem should go away.
RE:
Couldn't agree more with my esteemed colleague R&D, this looks exactly like the stringing I'd expect from moist PETG.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Odd Thick Strings on Some Instances
Wow, thanks guys. Never thought that would happen. I have dried this filament multiple times now. Surprised how quickly this stuff takes on water. I haven't been putting it back in the box every time I'm done using it, in all fairness it's winter here in Pittsburgh and generally speaking the air is fairly dry. I thought I was ok, but I guess not and will take your advice.
As an experiment I printed the same arrangement on my Mini last night, almost identical results.
Mini+MK3S+XL 5 Tool
RE: Odd Thick Strings on Some Instances
My favorite example is Prusament Neon Green PETG. If I dry it overnight in a PrintDry Pro, it prints great in the morning. By the end of the day, it looks like yours. So now I print it directly from the dry box.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Odd Thick Strings on Some Instances
Makes you wonder, how in the world do the "influencers" on YouTube get away with having all that filament open and on display behind them? Do they ever use any of that stuff? 🤔
Mini+MK3S+XL 5 Tool
RE: Odd Thick Strings on Some Instances
Yeah, like the Printing Nerd. I guess most of it is PLA, which is a lot more forgiving. Plus, I think about it more as thematic "decoration" for their production studio. Not sure they actually print anything with it.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Odd Thick Strings on Some Instances
Like @fuchsr I dry my filaments out of a Printdry system even as I'm printing them. Dry PETG is like a magnet for water molecules, and dry boxes don't remove water from filaments, they just provide a dry place to return it to. To dry filament you must apply heat.
RE: Odd Thick Strings on Some Instances
dry boxes don't remove water from filaments, they just provide a dry place to return it to
Excellent point. That's why I don't get the point of a dry box--unless you only print with one spool of filament. For storage I use large Ziploc Weathershield storage totes that can hold 10+ spools, combined with renewable mini dehumidifiers. Another good brand for containers is Sterilite. As long as you keep an eye on the color of the dehumidifier and recharge it as needed every month or so, I have had filaments in there for more than a year with no apparent degradation in performance.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...