Any suggestions on what is causing this surface issue ?
.1mm layers
Black PLA @ 195 C
Top Layers - 6
E3D hot end
Surface in the middle piece is smooth to touch (print from last month) with a Mk5 J-Head. The other surface is ‘pebbly’ and the head drags over it. Perimeters are smooth … just infill problem .
thanks in advance
Hmm… Try lowering temperature a bit and/or readjusting the hot-end heater PID, maybe your temperature is oscillating too much, changing the hot-end involves readjusting the PID 'cause each one has its geometry and its heat dissipation.
Not sure about it, but try, and anyway having the PID well calibrated is better.
Honestly, looks like popping from moisture in the PLA. Agreed on trying to lower the temp.
Hmmm … How do I initiate a PID Autotune in on a Mendel90 / Melzi /Marlin ? I am using the same thermistor type as before.
Thank you, I’ll try that tonight. I was also thinking that my infill speed maybe too high as the perimeters are smooth. Small infill areas are also okay. As to temperature 195 is as low as I can go with this filament. Any lower and I getting jamming issues.
Check if the bed is horizontal like the Y axis, if it is parallel.
Marlin auto tune does not like the e3d because it heats up so fast causing tuning to stop with overtemp error. I find it usually works if restarting before the hotend has cooled down completely. Or increase the limit in marlin if this has not already been fixed. When it finally completes the pid works well though. Good luck!
I found the Over Temp error when first installing the E3D as the procedure was to heat to 300 C, then tighten. Default over temp was set at 275. I will see what the PID tune does but I am starting to think I am just trying to infill a solid layer too fast. The first solid layer goes down well ( see perimeter loop ) .
What speeds are you using? Cooling? Could be insufficient cooling if you’re printing really fast.
@Stefan_Langemark First layers go down @ 30 mm/s and I think I bumped infill up to 50 or 60 mm/s for subsequent layers.
Cooling fan is there and surfaces on a collection of small pieces is okay, just large surfaces.
Those speeds should not be a problem… Difficult to see from the photo, maybe just a little over-extrusion? Certainly not underextrusion.
@Stefan_Langemark Will find out tonight when I’m home. In Slic3r I can dial back the filament in %. I’ll measure it again and adjust accordingly. Just want to get back to where I once was !
Have you changed to a 3/32 driver for your E3D hotend?
@ThantiK THANK YOU !!! Watched the temp monitor in pronterface pre and post PID Auto tune and saw a much more stable temp. Biggest variations happen when the auto cooling kicks in but although not finished printing it looks and feels so much better ! Is it better to run the Auto tune at a higher temp than what one normally uses ? I did it at 200 C but perhaps I should run it at 250 C. As I switch between PLA, ABS and Nylon should I do it for each temp and store in Slic3r profiles or once and burn it into Marlin ?
@Wayne_Friedt ? I don’t understand the question…
@William_Frick the values it gives you are pretty good across a wide range of temperatures. You should be fine. I’d just input the values in firmware and flash or save to eeprom.
That was vague. I know your not using a Solidoodle, but for Solidoodle they have discovered that switching the extruder driver from 1/16 to a 3/32 driver will give smoother results / better output when using a E3D hotend. i suspect the same may apply to a reprap as the drivers, extruders and hotends can be the same kinds.
@Stefan_Langemark Dialed back the extrusion 1% in Slic3r and got a little better, but the biggest improvement came from Autotune PID , Thank you @ThantiK . I am working up the temp scale 5 C at a time hunting the sweet spot but at least the client is happy with the prints even if I think they can be better …
