General Frustration- please help
Hi everyone, I hate to start a thread on a negative note, but I’ve been running into quite a few issues lately and it’s been a bit discouraging. I’m new to 3D printing and decided to give it a try. I chose Prusa because their printers consistently get great reviews for print quality and customer support compared to the competition.
I received my printer in early February and have been printing regularly since then. I feel like I’ve developed a solid understanding of the basics, and I’ve successfully produced some good-quality prints, so I know the printer is capable. However, I’ve also had more failed prints than I expected, which is why I wanted to discuss it with the community.The main issue is that I keep encountering unexpected hardware or software problems. I shared two photos of some of my recent issues. On the hardware side, one of my biggest concerns is when a print continues running but filament has stopped extruding. I’ve come back to prints showing something like 50–60% completion, only to realize the nozzle probably clogged much earlier and the printer has just been running with nothing coming out. Is there any way to prevent this or get a notification from the printer if extrusion stops, so I can fix the clog and resume the print without wasting the filament and time?
I’ve also run into some software issues. I included a screenshot of an internal error message I received. Another strange thing happened during a print while the nozzle cleaning routine was running—I opened the enclosure door and the printer completely shut down. It didn’t give any warning or prompt to close the door; it just powered off entirely.
The worst issue I’ve experienced happened when I left a print running while I went to my daughter’s soccer game. This was actually a model I had printed successfully four times before. When I came back, the nozzle was completely bent, the heatsink threads were damaged, there were grind marks on the side of the heat bed, and who knows what other damage occurred. Because the heatsink threads were damaged, I couldn’t install a new nozzle, and one of the wires had disconnected. I temporarily glued the wire back in place, but ultimately I had to order a replacement assembly.Even before that incident, I had a fairly high number of failed prints that I can’t really explain. I store all my filament either in airtight zip-lock bags or in the original packaging, so I don’t think moisture is the issue. I’ve mostly been using Sunlu filament since I’ve read that it’s generally considered good quality for the price.So my main question is: is this level of maintenance and failure rate normal for someone starting out, or does it sound like something might be wrong? If anyone has tips or things I might be overlooking, I’d really appreciate the advice.
Also, if someone could share a link to the 3D printable parts for the Core One L, that would be great.
Thanks in advance!
RE: General Frustration- please help
Hi,
To answer your question, no, it is not normal. A properly assembled printer should run like a workhorse for at least several month without any maintenance.
Looking at you pictures, to get a bent nozzle like this it can mean only one thing. The nozzle wasn't properly seated/tighten and has dropped down. On a properly seated nozzle, the copper part should be completely pushed up into the heatsink (the black aluminium part).
Before to reach such an extreme failure, a badly tightened nozzle can lead to the exact kind of symptoms you got, as clogging.
RE: General Frustration- please help
Yep, concur. The thumbscrews were loose, the nozzle heatblock assembly shifted down and the nozzle catastrophically collided with the print bed. You can purchase replacement heatblocks and nozzles from Amazon. You don't need Prusa branded ones. Generic work fine.
RE: General Frustration- please help
Want to add some advice for beginners. Until you are comfortable with basic printer maintenance and printing in general, I don't advise leaving the printer unattended. Or at minimum have a camera setup so you can monitor and stop if something bad happens. Of course most modern printers have this type of safety feature built-in... except Prusa... but I digress.
RE: General Frustration- please help
Thanks for the advice. For the most part, im printing while in the house. I do have a camera set up and was able to stop the print remotely. Based on all the replys, i guess the nozzel wasn't tightened enough. But i definitely haven't had the joys of running prints without any issues. I hope to get there soon lol
RE: General Frustration- please help
Here's a question, maybe you guys can help me out with. I've started a couple of prints using stealth mode. I like the quietness and that it lessens shaking, but I also read that it slows the feed rate, which can be the cause of my recent issues. I had a couple of prints. Halfway through the print, the filament stopped being fed, and nothing was coming out. In the past, I've had this issue in the past, and it has ruined some prints. Luckly i was in the room when this happened. It started making a weird sound, so I had to unload and then reload the filament, and it would start back up. Do you think that's because of the slower feed rate in stealth mode? Is there a way I can get the same steady, slowed movement that you get from stealth mode, but with a feed rate that is given in normal mode?
RE: General Frustration- please help
Here's a question, maybe you guys can help me out with. I've started a couple of prints using stealth mode. I like the quietness and that it lessens shaking, but I also read that it slows the feed rate, which can be the cause of my recent issues. I had a couple of prints. Halfway through the print, the filament stopped being fed, and nothing was coming out. In the past, I've had this issue in the past, and it has ruined some prints. Luckly i was in the room when this happened. It started making a weird sound, so I had to unload and then reload the filament, and it would start back up. Do you think that's because of the slower feed rate in stealth mode? Is there a way I can get the same steady, slowed movement that you get from stealth mode, but with a feed rate that is given in normal mode?
If printing PLA, try printing with the door open. There maybe a heat creep issue when printing in stealth mode.