PLA slippage
I have an i3 and it has been working flawlessly for 3 months (I had to tighten a belt after 2 months but otherwise no issues). That said my success has only been with ABS.
I have done dozens of ABS prints with very few failures and some relatively large jobs (5 hours plus).
My issue is with PLA.
After many trials and adjustments I can get PLA to nearly print. I got 7 hours through a print last night until the filament stopped feeding.
The feeder squeaks and slips like the idler wheel is slipping over the material and not feeding it.
With the first PLA I tried it was too hard to even get a print started so I changed material and got closer.
I read that PLA is easier to print than ABS but that has not proven the case for me.
All the Slic3r settings I use are the defaults in the program and I have good adhesion to the plate, nice surfaces when it prints but it will just jab and some random point.
It sounds much different to ABS with the squeaking as it tries to feed material - even when it looks like it's working. When it fails the squeaking gets very loud and I know it is time to abort.
I have played with the tension on the feeder plate but could not correlate the results with these settings.
Anything I should try?
Re: PLA slippage
SOLVED.
I thought I had researched this topic before posting but after I had I looked on Joseph's material tips. I printed the dust trap and added oil. The first print I tried in PLA completed perfectly in 7 hours 59 minutes.
I think this is a conclusive.
In case any else has issues with PLA.
Default settings in Slic3r for the i3 (220 nozzle, 50 bed).
Elmer's glue on the glass plate
Pure canola oil.
cheers
Bob
Re: PLA slippage
I had the some issues too.
One of them was the same as here. Oil to the pla and it goes.
The other pla problem was with some older material. If the filament diameter is above 3,1 mm it will stuck into the head.
The filament was more like an oval on some places.
I had more problem overall with PLA then ABS. It is more sensitive to bed calibration,then ABS somehow.