I am new to 3D printing and I am not sure how to troubleshoot printing issues. In this post, I have a specific issue I cannot figure out and would love help diagnosing it. But I would also welcome beginner friendly resources to determine what the issue is and how to address it. I like gardening and with plants, you learn a method of identifying issues and working your way to ID the problem so you can narrow possible solutions. Example: I have a plant that looks unhealthy.

  1. What about the plant looks bad? a) yellow leaves
  2. is the leaf yellow or the veins in the leaf yellow a) leaf is yellow, the veins are green
  3. are the older leaves yellow, the younger leaves yellow, or ALL leaves yellow? a) younger leaves
  4. likely an iron deficiency.

So now I know the issue so I can then look at the various options that would address that issue, likely starting with the simplest option and trying more complicated ones as the simple answers don’t solve it.

If there existed resources that could guide me like that for 3D printing I would be grateful!

Now, onto my current issue. I have a model I made that has some layering issues that make it easier to pull apart than it should. But the weird thing is it only happens to larger prints. I have tested this pretty easily because I have been making simple shapes will learning how to do parametric modeling. In the smaller shapes, the print is SOLID. But when I change 1 parameter to make it longer, the print is more brittle and the layers are not as clean as the shorter version. The top layer is also not as clean as the shorter version. The practice object I am making is basically 2 connected rectangles with one taller than the other. I printed several with 30mm length and they printed fine. When I change the length to 300mm, it prints poorly. That is what the picture I attached shows. I have tried printing several times on different parts of the plate, thinking maybe there is a part on the plate that is not flat, but the is not solved that way. The brittleness seems pretty clear to be a layering issue, but I am not sure what they layering becomes an issue when the object becomes longer…

EDIT: Looks like I should provide more info. PRINTER: Sovol SV08, a corexy printer. It is new because I was scared a used printer might have issues I couldn’t diagnose since I don’t know 3d printers. MATERIAL: PLA SOFTWARE: FreeCAD for designing, OrcaSlicer for printing. LOCATION: Open air in my room with a ceiling fan running all day (which apparently might be part of the problem here?)

Here are some more pictures, with better lighting.

  1. Layering
  2. Top Layer
  3. Decided to check if I could peel it. Yup, it was easy.
  • NaibofTabr@infosec.pubEnglish
    13·
    25 days ago

    OK, so you’re new to 3D printing, but you’re not new to asking for help on the Internet. If you want people to be able to help, rule #1:

    More. Pixels.

    This might’ve been considered high quality for a digital image… in 1995. OK, maybe early 1995. Not by the end of the year. Find some more pixels. Don’t be stingy with them.

    So next, for 3D printing it’s like asking for help with any tool - what kind of tool is it? Who made it? What model is it? Did you buy it new, or used? Does it have any modifications? Does it have an enclosure? What kind of work environment is it in? bedroom? garage? Is it a bed slinger? CoreXY? Delta?

    What kind of software/firmware is the printer running? Which slicer are you using? Did you design the model yourself, or download it from somewhere? What software are you using for design?

    And then what kind of material are you printing? PLA? PET? ASA? TPU?

    Basically, we don’t know what you’re working with, or how you’re working with it, or what you’re trying to accomplish, and we can’t guess. There are hundreds of different printer models on the market, a few dozen different pieces of software that might be involved, and thousands of different print material options. Context, please.

    On your issue - the most common problem with larger objects is that plastic tends to shrink as it cools. The longer the piece of extruded plastic is, the more effect the shrinkage has. As the top layer cools, it shrinks and pulls away from the layer below it. The larger the object is, the more time each layer has to cool before the next layer of hot plastic gets put on top of it. If your printer is open frame (not enclosed) this will be worse. If your printer is open and in a room with a draft, it will be even worse.

    Resources:

    • Stefan CNC Kitchen has published more video content of testing various aspects of hobby 3D printing than anyone else I know of.
    • Michael Teaching Tech has a lot of specific advice for troubleshooting various issues, and some really interesting material on testing experimental new features. He has put together a fantastic resource for printer calibration https://teachingtechyt.github.io/calibration.html If you want to really learn about how your printer operates, go through that step-by-step guide.

    And finally, the pixels… don’t forget the pixels.

    • Spiffyman@slrpnk.netOPEnglish
      2·
      25 days ago

      Here are some more pictures, with better lighting.

      1. Layering
      2. Top Layer
      3. Decided to check if I could peel it. Yup, it was easy.

      The printer is a Sovol SV08, which is a corexy printer with pla. I use Freecad to design the parts and OrcaSlicer 2.3.1 to slice it. It is in my room on a desk in the open air and I have a fan running in the room. Several people have mentioned it cooling too fast, so I am suspecting that fan being the issue…

      • MysteriousSophon21@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        24 days ago

        yep, that ceiling fan is 100% your culprit - the constant airflow is cooling your layers too quickly on those longer prints making them brittle, try building a simple cardboard enclosure around the printer to block the airflow and you’ll see a huge diffrence.

  • HelloRoot@lemy.lolEnglish
    7·
    25 days ago

    It would help to know what model of printer you have and maybe some more photos of different calibration prints. Personally I like this one: https://www.printables.com/model/243257-quick-calicube

    Seems like a temperature issue to me.

    Short parts: Each layer is finished quickly, so the plastic stays warm, and layers fuse strongly before cooling.

    Long parts: Each layer takes much longer to complete, so by the time the nozzle returns, the previous line has already cooled too much, leading to poor interlayer adhesion.

    Try those one by one:

    • Raise nozzle temperature.

    • Raise hotplate temperature.

    • Reduce part cooling fan speed, or disable it after the first few layers.

    • If you have an enclosure, raise the enclosure temperature.

    If it is not temperature related but rather inconsistent extrusion, try:

    • Slow print speed. That makes more consistent extrusion, especially on long straight runs.

    • Increase flow/extrusion multiplier slightly (e.g. +2–4%) to compensate for under-extrusion on long lines.

    This one is off topic, but you mentioned a “debugging” flowchart / q/a for plants or gardening and thats exactly what I am looking for. Do you have a link (or book recommendation) to such a resource?

  • mrcleanup@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    25 days ago

    Not enough plastic is coming out of your nozzle.

    It really could be a lot of things… a clog, temperature to low, too much friction against the filament so it is hard to pull through, nozzle is bigger than your slicer settings say.

    Try one thing at a time. Good luck!

  • thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    11·
    25 days ago

    lots of things going on here but my initial feel is your printhead is too close to the surface and is scraping the surface of the plastic instead of dropping it

    time to work on that first layer smoothness, its the bane of us all but once you get it right, it is a major milestone

    • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      25 days ago

      The fact that you can peel layers makes me think it’s under extrusion ( increase flow rate 2% ) or temperature ( increase temp 5 degrees). If better but not quite right, increase and try again. It’s a pain but it’s best to only change one at a time.

      And dry filament is always important.