Category: Configuration

Z offset is a term that refers to the distance between the nozzle of your 3D printer and the print bed. It is an important parameter that affects the quality and adhesion of your prints. If the Z offset is too high, the nozzle will be too far from the bed and the first layer will not stick well. If the Z offset is too low, the nozzle will be too close to the bed and may scratch it or cause extrusion problems.

The first step is to measure your current Z offset. You can do this by printing a test pattern, such as a single-layer square or circle, and observing how it looks on the bed. Ideally, you want the first layer to be slightly squished and have a smooth surface. If the first layer is too thin or has gaps, your Z offset is too high. If the first layer is too thick or has blobs, your Z offset is too low.

To adjust your Z offset, you need to access your printer’s firmware settings. Depending on your printer model and software, you may have different ways to do this. Some printers have a menu option that allows you to change the Z offset directly. Others require you to use a terminal program or a G-code command to modify the Z offset value. You can find more information about your specific printer in its manual or online forums.

Once you have access to your Z offset setting, you can increase or decrease it by small increments, such as 0.01 mm or 0.05 mm. The direction of the adjustment depends on whether you need to raise or lower your nozzle. For example, if your Z offset is too high, you need to lower your nozzle by decreasing the Z offset value. If your Z offset is too low, you need to raise your nozzle by increasing the Z offset value.

After each adjustment, you should print another test pattern and check the first layer quality. Repeat this process until you find the optimal Z offset for your printer and filament. You may need to fine-tune your Z offset for different materials or environmental conditions, as they can affect the extrusion and adhesion of your prints.

Sometimes we don’t have the luxury of buying a new 3d printer and have to use what we have. My first choice for printing miniature figurines is my SLA printer. But, before I got it I did use my FDM printer for that same purpose. It took a bit of tuning to get everything just right. In the end, you still don’t get details as fine as on a resin printer, but for a couple of 8 and 10 year old boys who just want to goof off with them, the detail is just fine. Here is how I got my FDM printer tuned to make decent miniature prints.

Use a 0.25 mm nozzle for printing miniatures. This will allow you to print finer features and reduce the visible layer lines. However, a smaller nozzle also means a higher risk of clogging and longer print times. Therefore, you need to buy good quality filament that won’t clog and has consistent diameter and color.

Do your PID tuning. This is a process that calibrates the temperature control of your hotend and bed, ensuring that they maintain a stable and accurate temperature throughout the print. PID tuning can improve the quality and reliability of your prints, as well as prevent thermal runaway and overheating issues.

Make sure that your esteps are calibrated. Esteps are the number of steps your extruder motor takes to push a certain amount of filament through the nozzle. A little tiny nozzle is much more likely to get clogged, so you want to make sure you aren’t feeding it too much filament. To calibrate your esteps, you need to measure how much filament is extruded when you command a certain length, and adjust the estep value accordingly.

If you use Klipper firmware like I do, you need to make sure that you calibrate your rotation distance. This is the distance that the print head moves when the extruder motor rotates one full turn. I think other firmware calls it your steps per mm. Whatever it’s called, make sure that if you print something that’s supposed to be 1 inch, that it’s an inch.

Finally, you need to level your bed at your printing temperature. Then do a mesh bed level. This will compensate for any unevenness or warping of your bed surface, ensuring that your nozzle is at the right distance from the bed at every point. A good bed level is essential for good adhesion and avoiding elephant foot or warping issues.

These are some of the things that I do to print miniatures with my FDM printer. Of course, there are other factors that affect the quality of your prints, such as slicer settings, orientation, supports, infill, post-processing, etc. But I hope this blog post gave you some useful information and inspiration for printing miniatures with FDM.

Continuing on with the theme of “stuff I should have known better but did anyways.”

I was diagnosing a problem a few months ago and decided that I needed to remove my extruder and disassemble it. I sat there, next to my printer, trying to find some space on my tabletop among all of my other printer accessories.

I checked everything. Motor gear? Good to go. Extruder gears? They are metal, but let’s check them anyways. They are good to go. Motor? It has the right voltage and it’s turning. No clog on the hotend. It’s good to go.

I decided to come back to it later.

When I came back to it, I still couldn’t figure it out so I contacted the manufacturer. They told me a few things to look for. I checked them but my extruder still wasn’t gripping the filament properly. I decided to put one of my old extruders back on (good thing I save them for just such a scenario).

When I pulled the old extruder out of my drawer and I happened to look down on the floor. There I saw it. A bearing. I knew immediately that this was the cause of everything. I must have dropped it when I disassembled my extruder and I didn’t notice. It turned out to be the bearing that holds the motor gear against the motor. When I didn’t notice that it was missing the filament was able to push the gears away, causing it not to grip properly. As soon as I put it back in everything started working again.

Save yourself some trouble. Disassemble in a clean area (not on a countertop, I have another story about a sink drain). Place all of your parts on a clean, light-colored cloth so that you don’t lose parts and they don’t go rolling off.

Have you ever experienced a thermal runaway error on your 3D printer? If you have, you know how frustrating and scary it can be. Thermal runaway is a condition where the temperature of the hotend or the heated bed rises uncontrollably, potentially causing damage to the printer or even starting a fire. I will explain what causes thermal runaway, how to prevent it, and what to do if it happens.

The main cause of thermal runaway is a malfunction in the temperature sensor or the heater. The temperature sensor is a device that measures the temperature of the hotend or the heated bed and sends a signal to the controller board. The controller board then adjusts the power to the heater to maintain the desired temperature. If the temperature sensor fails or becomes loose, it may send a wrong signal to the controller board, causing it to overheat or underheat the heater. Similarly, if the heater fails or becomes loose, it may draw too much or too little power, causing it to overheat or underheat.

To prevent thermal runaway, you should always check your printer for any signs of damage or wear before each print. Make sure that the temperature sensor and the heater are securely attached and that the wires are not frayed or broken. You should also enable thermal runaway protection in your firmware if your printer supports it. Thermal runaway protection is a feature that monitors the temperature of the hotend and the heated bed and shuts off the power if it detects an abnormal change. It’s not always enabled by default, so make sure it is turned on before you start printing.

If you encounter a thermal runaway error during a print, you should immediately turn off your printer and unplug it from the power source. Do not touch any part of the printer until it cools down completely. Then, inspect your printer for any damage or loose connections and fix them if possible. You may need to replace the temperature sensor or the heater if they are faulty. You should also update your firmware to the latest version and enable thermal runaway protection if you haven’t done so already.

Are you frustrated by Z banding in your 3D prints? Do you want to know what causes this annoying defect and how to fix it? If so, you’ve come to the right place!

Z banding, also known as Z wobble, is a common problem in FDM 3D printing that results in horizontal ridges or bulges on the sides of your printed objects. It can ruin the appearance and accuracy of your prints, and make them weaker and more prone to cracking. In a nutshell, your printer is moving when you don’t expect it to or want it to and you need to figure out why.

Z banding is caused by several factors that affect the movement of the Z axis, which controls the vertical position of the print head. Some of these factors are:

  • Misaligned or bent Z axis rods or lead screws
  • Loose or worn out couplers, bearings or rails
  • Inconsistent bed temperature or PID settings
  • Microstepping errors in the stepper motor drivers
  • Improper layer height settings

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to prevent or reduce Z banding in your 3D prints. Here are some tips that you can try:

  • Check and adjust the alignment of your Z axis rods or lead screws. Make sure they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the print bed. Use a spirit level or a digital caliper to measure the distance between them at different points. If they are bent, replace them with new ones.
  • Tighten or replace any loose or worn out parts that connect the Z axis rods or lead screws to the stepper motors, such as couplers, bearings or rails. Make sure they are not too tight or too loose, as this can cause binding or backlash.
  • Enable a consistent bed temperature throughout your print by using PID tuning or setting a fixed temperature in your slicer. Avoid using auto bed leveling sensors that can introduce temperature fluctuations.
  • Use half or full step layer heights that match your Z axis pitch and avoid microstepping errors. For example, if your Z axis pitch is 8 mm and you have a 200 steps per revolution stepper motor, use layer heights that are multiples of 0.04 mm (8 / 200).
  • Stabilize your Z axis rods or lead screws by adding supports or braces at the top and bottom ends. This can prevent them from wobbling or vibrating during printing.

Getting the print to stick to the bed is a common challenge for 3D printer users. If the print does not adhere well, it can warp, curl, or detach during printing. To avoid this, many users apply some adhesive to the bed before printing. But what kind of adhesive should you use? And how do you apply it correctly? Here are some of the most popular adhesives for 3D printing and their pros and cons.

A glue stick is a cheap and easy option that works for most filaments and beds. You just need to apply a thin layer of glue stick to the bed in a circular motion. Glue stick provides good adhesion and can be removed with water or alcohol. However, glue stick can leave a residue on the print, affect its appearance or quality, and dry out over time.

Hairspray is a spray-on product that contains polymers that bond to the bed and the filament when heated. Hairspray works for PLA and ABS filaments and can be used on glass, metal, or plastic beds. You just need to spray a thin and even layer of hairspray on the bed before heating it up. Hairspray provides strong adhesion and can smooth out minor imperfections on the bed. However, hairspray can be messy, sticky, clog the nozzle or fan of your printer, and be difficult to remove from the bed and the print.

Painter’s tape is a type of masking tape that has a low-tack adhesive that does not leave any residue. Painter’s tape works for PLA and PETG filaments and can be used on glass, metal, or plastic beds. You just need to cut strips of tape and apply them to the bed in parallel lines, overlapping them slightly. Painter’s tape provides decent adhesion and can be removed by peeling it off. However, painter’s tape can wear out quickly, need to be replaced often, and affect the texture and appearance of the bottom layer of your print.

These are some of the most popular adhesives for 3D printing, but there are others. You may also want to try Kapton tape, PEI sheet, Magigoo, BuildTak, or 3DLac. The best adhesive for you may depend on your preference, filament type, bed material, printer settings, and budget. You may also want to experiment with different adhesives and techniques to find what works best for you. The key is to ensure that your print sticks well without causing any damage or difficulty in removal.

You might have heard of Klipper, a firmware that runs on a Raspberry Pi and communicates with your printer’s microcontroller. But what are the advantages of Klipper over stock Marlin firmware?

Klipper can improve your print quality, speed, and reliability. It can also unlock features that are not available in Marlin, such as pressure advance, input shaping, and automatic bed leveling.

How does Klipper achieve these benefits? The main difference is that Klipper offloads the complex calculations from the microcontroller to the Raspberry Pi, which has much more processing power and memory. This allows Klipper to use more advanced algorithms and higher precision for motion planning and control.

Imagine being able to print faster and smoother, with less ringing, ghosting, and blobs. Imagine having more control over your printer settings and parameters, without having to recompile and flash the firmware every time. Imagine having a web interface that lets you monitor and manage your printer from anywhere. These are some of the things that Klipper can offer you.

If you are interested in trying out Klipper, you will need a Raspberry Pi, a USB cable, and some patience. You can find detailed instructions on how to install and configure Klipper on its official website: https://www.klipper3d.org/. You can also join the Klipper community on Discord or Reddit for support and tips. Happy printing!

One of the most common problems that 3D printing enthusiasts face is getting their prints to stick to the bed properly. If the print does not adhere well to the bed, it can warp, curl, or detach during the printing process, resulting in a failed print. This can be frustrating and wasteful, especially if you are printing large or complex models.

So what is the best way to get a 3D print to stick to the bed properly? There is no definitive answer to this question, as different printers, filaments, and settings may require different solutions. However, there are some general tips and tricks that can help you improve your bed adhesion and avoid common issues.

The first thing you need to do is make sure your bed is level and clean. A level bed ensures that the nozzle is at a consistent distance from the bed across the entire print area, which affects how well the first layer sticks. You can use a sheet of paper or a feeler gauge to check the gap between the nozzle and the bed at different points and adjust it accordingly. A clean bed prevents dust, oil, or other contaminants from interfering with the adhesion. You can use a cloth with some alcohol or acetone to wipe the bed before each print.

The second thing you need to do is choose the right bed temperature and surface for your filament type. Different filaments have different melting points and properties, which affect how they stick to different materials. For example, PLA usually sticks well to a heated glass bed at around 60°C, while ABS requires a higher temperature of around 100°C and may benefit from a layer of glue stick or hairspray on the bed. You can experiment with different temperatures and surfaces until you find the optimal combination for your filament.

The third thing you need to do is adjust your slicer settings to improve your first layer quality and adhesion. There are several settings that can affect this, such as layer height, line width, print speed, fan speed, and flow rate. Generally speaking, you want your first layer to be slightly thicker and wider than the rest of the layers, as this increases the contact area with the bed. You also want to print your first layer at a slower speed and lower fan speed, as this allows more time for the filament to melt and bond with the bed. You may also need to increase or decrease your flow rate depending on whether your first layer is over- or under-extruded.

The extruder is the part of your printer that pushes the filament through the nozzle and melts it to create the layers of your 3D print. If the extruder is not working properly, you may encounter problems such as under-extrusion, over-extrusion, clogging, stringing, or poor adhesion. Here are some steps you can take to diagnose if your printer has an issue with the extruder:

  1. Check the temperature of the extruder. The temperature should match the recommended range for the type of filament you are using. If the temperature is too low, the filament may not melt enough and cause under-extrusion or clogging. If the temperature is too high, the filament may ooze out of the nozzle and cause over-extrusion or stringing. You can adjust the temperature using the printer’s settings or a slicer software.
  2. Check the tension of the extruder. The tension is the force that the extruder applies to the filament to push it through the nozzle. If the tension is too loose, the extruder may not grip the filament well and cause under-extrusion or skipping. If the tension is too tight, the extruder may deform or grind the filament and cause over-extrusion or clogging. You can adjust the tension by tightening or loosening the screws on the extruder.
  3. Check the alignment of the extruder. The alignment is the position of the extruder relative to the nozzle and the print bed. If the alignment is off, the extruder may not deposit the filament evenly and cause poor adhesion or warping. You can check the alignment by printing a test pattern and measuring the distance between the nozzle and the print bed at different points. You can adjust the alignment by leveling the print bed or adjusting the height of the nozzle.
  4. Check for any debris or damage in the extruder. The debris or damage may be caused by dust, dirt, filament residue, or wear and tear. If there is any debris or damage in the extruder, it may obstruct or interfere with the flow of filament and cause clogging, jamming, or inconsistent extrusion. You can check for any debris or damage by inspecting the extruder visually or using a needle or a wire to poke through the nozzle. You can clean or replace any parts that are dirty or damaged.

If you are into 3d printing, you might have wondered which slicer software is the best for your needs. A slicer is a program that converts a 3d model into instructions for your printer, such as layer height, speed, temperature, etc. There are many slicers available, but in this blog post we will compare and contrast some of the top ones: Cura, PrusaSlicer and Simplify3D.

Cura is one of the most popular and widely used slicers, developed by Ultimaker. It is free and open source, and supports a variety of printers and materials. Cura has a user-friendly interface and a large community of users who share their settings and profiles. Cura also has some advanced features, such as adaptive layer height, tree supports and ironing.

PrusaSlicer is another free and open source slicer, developed by Prusa Research. It is optimized for Prusa printers, but also compatible with other brands. PrusaSlicer has a sleek and modern interface, and offers some unique features, such as variable infill patterns, paint-on supports and automatic seam hiding.

Simplify3D is a premium slicer that costs $149. It claims to offer superior print quality and performance, and supports over 100 different printers. Simplify3D has a powerful and customizable interface, and allows you to control every aspect of your print. Simplify3D also has some exclusive features, such as dual extrusion wizard, intelligent support generation and mesh repair tools.

To summarize, each slicer has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the best one for you depends on your preferences, budget and printer. You can try them out yourself and see which one suits you best. Happy printing!