Put the mk4 into a Lack enclosure - prints look bad now
 
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Lumpenlurch
(@lumpenlurch)
Member
Put the mk4 into a Lack enclosure - prints look bad now

Hi!

I had my mk4 sitting on my sturdy workbench for weeks now and everything was working very fine. I needed the space, however, and moved the printer into my old lack enclosure, where my old Anycubic i3 mega used to sit.

Since then, my prints look super bad. I added a concrete slab and some eva foam under the printer, what made it a little better (first image) then before (second image).

During printing, the whole enclosure shakes like hell, so I assume it has something to do with the inputshaper and the wobbly enclosure.

Any ideas, how I should proceed? Print 4 reinforcement things for a sturdier connection of lack legs and top? Or remove the coasters? both? bolt everything together with 2x4s?

any advice is appreciated!

Cheers!

Posted : 18/01/2024 8:33 am
Milos V.
(@milos-v)
Prominent Member
RE: Put the mk4 into a Lack enclosure - prints look bad now

Hi,

before we will go further, please confirm that you are not printing PLA in the closed enclosure.

Then, could you please just for a test take the printer out again and print the same? You know, putting into enclosure might be just a coincidence.

The printing using the IS (input shaper) is really very fast and printer might shake, however the should not cause such an quality  issue. I have my printer on the anti-vibration feet (Anti-vibration feet for Prusa MK3/S/S+, MK4 and Prusa Mini/+) and would recommend the same. You can also try to print without IS profile to see the difference.

Milos

Posted : 23/01/2024 4:18 pm
Lumpenlurch
(@lumpenlurch)
Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Put the mk4 into a Lack enclosure - prints look bad now

Thanks for helping!

I am printing PLA in there - however, the enclosure actually has no windows. I loosely attached foamboard to it, because it was very cold in my basement (~11°C) and I wanted to keep a little bit of warmth in there. So temperature might be another reason for the bad quality. So its basically just two Lack tables stacked onto each other with some foamboard taped to it. Should I find the time to complete it, it will have two doors to allow sufficient airflow for pla printing.

I took the printer out and started another print. It looked better but due to the low temperature I had bad bed adhesion and the print failed. So far I have not made another print. It is getting warmer, tough and I might give it another try.

I am currently working on adding reinforcement "beams" onto the lower table and I removed the enlcosure's coasters and will replace them with rubber feet, as soon as they are shipped. If that wont work, Ill five those antivibration feet a try. Thanks!

Posted : 24/01/2024 7:25 am
JoanTabb
(@joantabb)
Veteran Member Moderator
RE: Put the mk4 into a Lack enclosure - prints look bad now

For adhesion I wash my build plate with dish sop and lots of HOT Water, Rinse with hot water then dry immediately with plain paper towels, and keep my fingers off the build surface, 
then I print with the Bed at 70C

for PLA. 

regards Joan

I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK

Posted : 24/01/2024 9:21 am
Milos V.
(@milos-v)
Prominent Member
RE: Put the mk4 into a Lack enclosure - prints look bad now

It might be worthy to try the printer somewhere at home, to see what difference comes from "normal" ambient temperature. 11°C is too low and could be part of the problem. The antivibration feet is simple and fast to print, I would recommend those as it stabilize the printer a lot.

Not sure how the ambient temperature influents the adhesion, but keeping the print plate clean is crucial to avoid other problems. As Joan wrote, cleaning with dish soap and hot water helps when the plate is too dirty (talking mostly about fat, even that you can not see). Before each print it is good enough to clean it with IPA. But that has to be a clean IPA (at least 98%), not sure if this is available everywhere, I have 99,9% 🙂 Never touch printing surface with fingers, nice fingerprint will not go down with IPA (you will just blur it around), you will have to go under water again. Also PEI sheets might lose after some time (months/year) its perfect adhesion and need to be refreshed, that is I believe described in printing manual.

 

Posted : 28/01/2024 10:33 am
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