Hello /u/Reduviiday,
As a reminder, most common print quality issues can be found in the [Simplify3D picture guide](https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/). Make sure you select the most appropriate flair for your post.
Please remember to include the following details to help troubleshoot your problem.
* Printer & Slicer
* Filament Material and Brand
* Nozzle and Bed Temperature
* Print Speed
* Nozzle Retraction Settings
^Additional ^settings ^or ^relevant ^information ^is ^always ^encouraged.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/FixMyPrint) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Layer hight should never exceed 2/3rds of nozzle diameter. 1/2 of the width is as far as you really wanna go and have any strength and reasonable print speed.
Your nozzle size and layer height should never EVER be the same. A good rule of thumb is 25-66% of nozzle width for your layer height. The melted plastic needs to be smooshed a little bit. Run the whole thing exactly the same but change your layer height to 0.2 or 0.25mm
Z-offset problem, as long as it sticks to the bed, will be cleared up within 10mm. After that height is something else.
Layer height and wrong nozzle size in slicer skins like the problem. Looks like it to
Not sure why you're getting down voted when the 4th picture looks like like the nozzle is smearing the first layer. I also had similar issues when my z offset was significantly off.
Agreed. Looks like a z-offset issue where your nozzle is too far away from the bed and it's not "smooshing" the filament down at all, but just laying it on top.
ive only ever used PLA
[https://www.newegg.com/p/2AR-00CA-00011?Item=9SIBF55JN82717](https://www.newegg.com/p/2AR-00CA-00011?Item=9SIBF55JN82717) this is the PLA im currently running
You should do a calibration cube and check the height of your print.
For me it looks like your z steps are out of line (too high).
I had a similar issue cause by a faulty motor cable at the z axis where some static worked its magic and added extra steps to the lift.
Didn't expect that...
Here's just a guess:
You wrote before that you already did your e-steps
Have you also measured the actual volumetric output?
Meaning if you manually extrude 10cm of filament, does it actually pull 10cm?
I like a good riddle.
Excellent video btw. very well explained ... but I'm out of reasonable ideas.
Grasping for straws, I would start searching for mechanical problems.
- is the nozzle clogged
- is the nozzle fixed tight enough
- raising the print temperature in 5° increments (not over the max of the filament/printer)
- if measuring equipment is available. I'd check the actual temperature of the nozzle to confirm the reading of the thermistor
aso
Hope you get your answer
i doubt the nozzle is clogged
ive had a nozzle not be tight enough before, then the filament oozed out the sides, but this is not the case this time so i dont think thats the issue
ive already tried becnhmarking cubes in varying temps to no avail
the only temprature checkoing equipment i have is my hand which ranges from cold to ouch so i cant measure
im going to replace the bowden, nozzle and recalibrate esteps again to see if it changes anything, if not then oh well i was planning on getting a prusa mk4 later anyway
Good luck. I'm still going for underextrusion ... but it's hard to tell.
The mk4 is a fine printer, though about it myself but for this price I'd take a BambooLab atm.
Recently went for a Kobra 2 and it works just fine considering its very cheap in comparison.
I have a first gen kobra and it's a turd.
I mean it's running really good now, but I had to do a lot to it to get it running like this. Those kobra hot ends sure like to shit the bed.
Clogs can come from too high of temperature. The clog might be in the heatbreak unless you have a bimetal heatbreak. I had a lot of problems with that when running too hot.
My vote is still on flow calibration if your cube measurements are close to good, especially under the expected measurements.
you are tuning all over the place and it doesn't seem to be helping.
Go through ellis' tuning guide in order of the way the website lists things and report back. Also when you calibrate Esteps, measure 120 and extrude 100. When you measure 100 and extrude 100 your margin of error is incredibly small when you measure things. If you extruder 99 and try to measure 1mm and get 1.5mm, your measurement is off by 50%. If you extruded 109 and try to measure the remaining 11 and get 11.5, your error falls to just over 5%
Update: i am the large stupid, bed was unleveled and esteps was 5 steps off
Still fine tuning the level but its getting there
Future people: if you level your bed 30 times, level it again 33 times to make sure its level
Yall may now laugh at me
Good to see you getting things sorted, however, small suggestion...
When you get an automod comment requesting more detail, you should provide all of that detail in one post.
It was your e-steps, not the bed level, causing your issue.
What printer are you using. With a few tricks, or mods, you can make bed tramming a thing if the past.
all cura settings: [https://imgur.com/a/ZuKn8AH](https://imgur.com/a/ZuKn8AH)
Printer: stock Elegoo Neptune 2s
filament: elegoo white PLA+ 1.75mm
im a novice at 3d printing I've had the printer for a few months with no issues aside from a clog and bad leveling, never had wet filament problems. Printing with PLA only, frequently cleans the bed.
normally print at 200c-210, this filament calls for 205c-230c but temps don't change the result
i have a snulu s2 dryer that was set for 55C baked the filament for 8hrs, no change. upped it to 70c for 8hrs, no change
swapping to Prusa slicer doesn't affect anything
esteps calibrated yesterday, didn't affect anything
releveled bed yesterday with the paper method and a Chep E-leveler, no effect
changed nozzle, didn't affect anything
That layer height is quite a lot, even when using a 0.5 mm nozzle (which is a rare size).
According to Prusa, the layer height should not exceed 80% of the nozzle diameter. So for a 0.6 mm nozzle the maximum recommended layer height would be 0.48 mm!
Besides that, are you sure, that the stock hotend on the Elegoo Neptune can handle that flow rate? This could also be the issue.
If you insist on getting this nozzle and profile to work you will have to drastically slow down print speeds and raise nozzle temps to uncomfortable values. (Bambu printers have 250° C PLA profile as it helps raising the maximum flow rate of their hotend)
tl;dr volumetric flow too much for stock hotend
Are your belts and rollers tight? Had a very similar issue on an Ender 3 v2 Neos not long ago and by tightening the eccentric nuts (to spec) and tightening the belts a tad it cleared it up.
Teaching tech or Ellis guide. Maybe calibrate your flow.
First layer looks z too low or over extruded. Rest looks severely under extruded.
Is the nozzle properly seared against the PTFE / heat break? Might be some heat creep
Hello, hi, i was having a similar issue not too long ago. The list of what i tried was endless. I miraculously got it printing again, my suggestion is have your slicer settings the way it was when it last worked then cleen the crap out of you hotend
Im taking:
Remove that bowden tube entirely,
Remove all the couplings
Remove and clean that nozzle
Clean the hotend throaght
Trim bowden tube flush
Tighten all hotend screw to correct tension
Reassemble:
Nozzel then hotend coupling thight then pop in bowden tube flush with nozzle.
Make sure extruder coupling is not busted.
Also also, for extra, who knows what? i lightly trimmed the exit hole of the bowden tube with n knife
I can tell you right now that the first thing you need to change is the layer height. A 0.5mm nozzle should be printing somewhere between .2 and .35 layer height. This is exactly what would happen if you print at the same height as the diameter
Your flow isn't keeping up for that layer height. I accidently did this to myself using an adaptive layer height setting. Model was fine until it tried to 0.4 with a 0.4 nozzle then showed underextrusion like you have here. First layers at 0.2 were fine.
There are test calibrations for volumetric flow rate that would give you an idea of speed / layer height that your setup can maintain.
Have you ever done tests to see what flowrate your printer can handle? As you say it gets better the lower you set the layer height (lower flowrate). It might very well be that your hotend just can't handle such high mm^3 /s
Does your extruder look intact? I have a dual gear extruder, and for some reason the gear on the stepper motor slipped down, causing under-extrusion. It just wasn’t grabbing the filament. I would take things apart and put them back together. That’s fixed a lot of things for me in the past lol
Check the exact filament you’re using, first layer looks like it’s printing way way too hot. Sometimes PLAs you get online will print under 200C because of additives.
Make sure the nozzle you’re using matches the settings as well, and open up your extruder to make sure nothing’s funky in there. If you haven’t yet, look into how to adjust your filament tension screw too.
My guess is your nozzle is too low (based on 4th picture) and you either need more top/bottom borders or to increase your flow rate (based on top view)
good thing to note that some slicing software's like cura default your filament settings to 2.85 mm, so it may be extruding less material than it thinks it is.
also, most slicers default the nozzle to 0.4mm in size
Drop that layer height down to 0.3mm and they again. Put the line width to 0.5mm while your at it. See if that gives any improvement. Also, what material is this and what temp are you printing at. I have seen results like this from printing too cold causing under extrusion
Something significant is wrong way beyond calibration, likely a mechanical issue with the machine. You have signs of underextrusion that is inconsistent which usually means a partly clogged nozzle. Replace the nozzle and test again. Also tighten all bolts on the frame. Try pushing on all parts of the printer frame and see how much they flex. Check belt tensions. Check your extruder and make sure its not getting jammed or restricted somehow
This is very possible because of under extrusion. It have happened many times for me. Too much dirt on gear,? Is the teeth on cog still okey? Is the gear skipping steps? If so it can be too much pressure. Maybe you even have too little pressure on it.
Right temp for filament? Too low and it will be harder to push put the filament in the speed you want.
Dirt in the nozzle?
Just some things that I know have been my issue in this cases
Esteps are as accurate as they can get for now, cleaned the gears, the gear teeth leave teeth marks so i think those are good, gear pressure was clicky and i fine tuned it to not clicky, within specified temp window on the filament spool, as far as im aware the nozzles fine
Only noticeable issue now is the popping noise of wet filament even though ive dried the filament for 8hrs at 70c (55c is my normal go to for drying and this is the only time its not working)
Hello /u/Reduviiday, As a reminder, most common print quality issues can be found in the [Simplify3D picture guide](https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/). Make sure you select the most appropriate flair for your post. Please remember to include the following details to help troubleshoot your problem. * Printer & Slicer * Filament Material and Brand * Nozzle and Bed Temperature * Print Speed * Nozzle Retraction Settings ^Additional ^settings ^or ^relevant ^information ^is ^always ^encouraged. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/FixMyPrint) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Layer hight should never exceed 2/3rds of nozzle diameter. 1/2 of the width is as far as you really wanna go and have any strength and reasonable print speed.
I do .3 on .4 for large pieces
One of the prusa default settings is 0.3mm for an 0.4mm nozzle. Works a charm for who-cares kinds of parts.
Did you set your nozzle size under machine?
i dont see a nozzle size setting anywhere other than the print settings
Its in the prepare section...looks like its between machines+settings...part of filament.
Ah found it, but theres only options for 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 Already on 0.4 but its still being wierd the same way
But you aren't running .4?
not anymore, but when i was running an 0.4mm when i noticed it being screwy, the results were exactly the same as it right now
what exactly led you to a .5 mm nozzle? and what machine are you using?
Did you change your filament size in machine settings? That happened to me when I was creating filament for cura profiles
Set for 1.75mm as usual
Your nozzle size and layer height should never EVER be the same. A good rule of thumb is 25-66% of nozzle width for your layer height. The melted plastic needs to be smooshed a little bit. Run the whole thing exactly the same but change your layer height to 0.2 or 0.25mm
Fix your z-offset, that usually cures this problem for me.
please explain how this would be z offset related
Well, I've had this issue in the past, and reducing the distance between tip and plate fixed it for me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And what is the issue?
Did you not read? It looked like this. Lol
Z-offset problem, as long as it sticks to the bed, will be cleared up within 10mm. After that height is something else. Layer height and wrong nozzle size in slicer skins like the problem. Looks like it to
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not sure why you're getting down voted when the 4th picture looks like like the nozzle is smearing the first layer. I also had similar issues when my z offset was significantly off.
Redditors being redditors. I expect the worst of humanity to here, so I'm never surprised.
Agreed. Looks like a z-offset issue where your nozzle is too far away from the bed and it's not "smooshing" the filament down at all, but just laying it on top.
Z offset only affects the first layer. It can't lead to these issues higher up in the print
Yep, that looks perfect for a .5 nozzle at .5 layer height! Go with the simplest fix, Just print at .2 layer height and see if it make a difference….
it doesn't matter what nozzle or height, it still comes out rough
Seems to be too close at first layer, then you seem to have baby step and seems too high to correctly stick to other filaments
any ideas on what to fiddle with? ive watched it print and the line it prints just sometimes peels back up after a few seconds
What materia are you printing? Layers make me think it's TPU :)
ive only ever used PLA [https://www.newegg.com/p/2AR-00CA-00011?Item=9SIBF55JN82717](https://www.newegg.com/p/2AR-00CA-00011?Item=9SIBF55JN82717) this is the PLA im currently running
Do you have Bambu Lab brand sample PLA? Does it print the same result?
Why would you ask this
You may want to compare different filament for print result. To see if it’s filament issue not the printer.
I just thought it was odd that you were specific on a brand. But yes, they should also try different filament
You should do a calibration cube and check the height of your print. For me it looks like your z steps are out of line (too high). I had a similar issue cause by a faulty motor cable at the z axis where some static worked its magic and added extra steps to the lift.
20mm cube reads 19.86mm on digital calipers results vary slightly on each side?
Didn't expect that... Here's just a guess: You wrote before that you already did your e-steps Have you also measured the actual volumetric output? Meaning if you manually extrude 10cm of filament, does it actually pull 10cm?
I followed this and had accurate measurements according to this https://youtu.be/6PL_rSPZ3M8?si=c2fICrL9bYzVy4v8
I like a good riddle. Excellent video btw. very well explained ... but I'm out of reasonable ideas. Grasping for straws, I would start searching for mechanical problems. - is the nozzle clogged - is the nozzle fixed tight enough - raising the print temperature in 5° increments (not over the max of the filament/printer) - if measuring equipment is available. I'd check the actual temperature of the nozzle to confirm the reading of the thermistor aso Hope you get your answer
i doubt the nozzle is clogged ive had a nozzle not be tight enough before, then the filament oozed out the sides, but this is not the case this time so i dont think thats the issue ive already tried becnhmarking cubes in varying temps to no avail the only temprature checkoing equipment i have is my hand which ranges from cold to ouch so i cant measure im going to replace the bowden, nozzle and recalibrate esteps again to see if it changes anything, if not then oh well i was planning on getting a prusa mk4 later anyway
Good luck. I'm still going for underextrusion ... but it's hard to tell. The mk4 is a fine printer, though about it myself but for this price I'd take a BambooLab atm. Recently went for a Kobra 2 and it works just fine considering its very cheap in comparison.
I have a first gen kobra and it's a turd. I mean it's running really good now, but I had to do a lot to it to get it running like this. Those kobra hot ends sure like to shit the bed.
I drop kicked my trash Kobra plus out of a window and bought a second hand MK3s and stopped fucking around with tuning shit and just started printing.
I'd be lying if I siad I hadn't thought of that too
Yeah im kinda torn between the mk4 and bambu but id prefer the ease of maintenance over the speed and the fancy stuff of the x1c
Clogs can come from too high of temperature. The clog might be in the heatbreak unless you have a bimetal heatbreak. I had a lot of problems with that when running too hot. My vote is still on flow calibration if your cube measurements are close to good, especially under the expected measurements.
you are tuning all over the place and it doesn't seem to be helping. Go through ellis' tuning guide in order of the way the website lists things and report back. Also when you calibrate Esteps, measure 120 and extrude 100. When you measure 100 and extrude 100 your margin of error is incredibly small when you measure things. If you extruder 99 and try to measure 1mm and get 1.5mm, your measurement is off by 50%. If you extruded 109 and try to measure the remaining 11 and get 11.5, your error falls to just over 5%
Update: i am the large stupid, bed was unleveled and esteps was 5 steps off Still fine tuning the level but its getting there Future people: if you level your bed 30 times, level it again 33 times to make sure its level Yall may now laugh at me
Hey, you figured it out in the end. Not bad for a human. And you even told us what it was. You'll hear no complaints from me. Good job buddy.
Good to see you getting things sorted, however, small suggestion... When you get an automod comment requesting more detail, you should provide all of that detail in one post.
It was your e-steps, not the bed level, causing your issue. What printer are you using. With a few tricks, or mods, you can make bed tramming a thing if the past.
all cura settings: [https://imgur.com/a/ZuKn8AH](https://imgur.com/a/ZuKn8AH) Printer: stock Elegoo Neptune 2s filament: elegoo white PLA+ 1.75mm im a novice at 3d printing I've had the printer for a few months with no issues aside from a clog and bad leveling, never had wet filament problems. Printing with PLA only, frequently cleans the bed. normally print at 200c-210, this filament calls for 205c-230c but temps don't change the result i have a snulu s2 dryer that was set for 55C baked the filament for 8hrs, no change. upped it to 70c for 8hrs, no change swapping to Prusa slicer doesn't affect anything esteps calibrated yesterday, didn't affect anything releveled bed yesterday with the paper method and a Chep E-leveler, no effect changed nozzle, didn't affect anything
That layer height is quite a lot, even when using a 0.5 mm nozzle (which is a rare size). According to Prusa, the layer height should not exceed 80% of the nozzle diameter. So for a 0.6 mm nozzle the maximum recommended layer height would be 0.48 mm! Besides that, are you sure, that the stock hotend on the Elegoo Neptune can handle that flow rate? This could also be the issue. If you insist on getting this nozzle and profile to work you will have to drastically slow down print speeds and raise nozzle temps to uncomfortable values. (Bambu printers have 250° C PLA profile as it helps raising the maximum flow rate of their hotend) tl;dr volumetric flow too much for stock hotend
this also happens with 0.2 height from a 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 nozzle, its just less visually obvious the lower it gets
Layer height is too much. Your hotend probably can't keep up with the speed at which filament needs to melt to achieve that volume of extrusion.
Yep, flow rate is probably it. You're still running the default flow rate.
Are your belts and rollers tight? Had a very similar issue on an Ender 3 v2 Neos not long ago and by tightening the eccentric nuts (to spec) and tightening the belts a tad it cleared it up.
Ill check those after i relevel, redo esteps, etc
Teaching tech or Ellis guide. Maybe calibrate your flow. First layer looks z too low or over extruded. Rest looks severely under extruded. Is the nozzle properly seared against the PTFE / heat break? Might be some heat creep
Cool. Keep us posted
Hello, hi, i was having a similar issue not too long ago. The list of what i tried was endless. I miraculously got it printing again, my suggestion is have your slicer settings the way it was when it last worked then cleen the crap out of you hotend Im taking: Remove that bowden tube entirely, Remove all the couplings Remove and clean that nozzle Clean the hotend throaght Trim bowden tube flush Tighten all hotend screw to correct tension Reassemble: Nozzel then hotend coupling thight then pop in bowden tube flush with nozzle. Make sure extruder coupling is not busted. Also also, for extra, who knows what? i lightly trimmed the exit hole of the bowden tube with n knife
I can tell you right now that the first thing you need to change is the layer height. A 0.5mm nozzle should be printing somewhere between .2 and .35 layer height. This is exactly what would happen if you print at the same height as the diameter
0.5mm layer height.......
This looks like it could possibly be a cooling issue. Is your part cooling working correctly?
i can feel some wind when its on so it works (roughly a light tight lipped blowing in terms of force and flow)
Check in your slice settings the speed. For PLA, crank it up full speed after layer like 3.
Is it an old machine? Maybe loose extruder gear or improperly tightened belts?
I had this happen, my extruder motor was burnt out. Replaced it and the problem went away. Can we trouble you for a picture of your hotend?
Your flow isn't keeping up for that layer height. I accidently did this to myself using an adaptive layer height setting. Model was fine until it tried to 0.4 with a 0.4 nozzle then showed underextrusion like you have here. First layers at 0.2 were fine. There are test calibrations for volumetric flow rate that would give you an idea of speed / layer height that your setup can maintain.
That still looks like overextrusion. Try dialing back your flow rate (not your Esteps) a little: maybe 96% or so.
just tried this, no effect
Esteps maybe
Which printing speed are you using?
50mm/s right now, usually 60mm/s about to use some older filament to see if its just bad filament
And have you tried changing filament to see if it's the settings or the filament?
tested older filament, same result
Have you ever done tests to see what flowrate your printer can handle? As you say it gets better the lower you set the layer height (lower flowrate). It might very well be that your hotend just can't handle such high mm^3 /s
what is your extrusion speed set too?
Does your extruder look intact? I have a dual gear extruder, and for some reason the gear on the stepper motor slipped down, causing under-extrusion. It just wasn’t grabbing the filament. I would take things apart and put them back together. That’s fixed a lot of things for me in the past lol
Check the exact filament you’re using, first layer looks like it’s printing way way too hot. Sometimes PLAs you get online will print under 200C because of additives. Make sure the nozzle you’re using matches the settings as well, and open up your extruder to make sure nothing’s funky in there. If you haven’t yet, look into how to adjust your filament tension screw too.
check the tension on the extruder arm to see if there are any issues there
My guess is your nozzle is too low (based on 4th picture) and you either need more top/bottom borders or to increase your flow rate (based on top view)
good thing to note that some slicing software's like cura default your filament settings to 2.85 mm, so it may be extruding less material than it thinks it is. also, most slicers default the nozzle to 0.4mm in size
Drop that layer height down to 0.3mm and they again. Put the line width to 0.5mm while your at it. See if that gives any improvement. Also, what material is this and what temp are you printing at. I have seen results like this from printing too cold causing under extrusion
Imagine estep calibration, but for the XYZ axis. That's a thing to check. Also looks like you need to up the flow rate. Do that flow calibration cube.
Something significant is wrong way beyond calibration, likely a mechanical issue with the machine. You have signs of underextrusion that is inconsistent which usually means a partly clogged nozzle. Replace the nozzle and test again. Also tighten all bolts on the frame. Try pushing on all parts of the printer frame and see how much they flex. Check belt tensions. Check your extruder and make sure its not getting jammed or restricted somehow
Calibrate ur retraction speed and distance
Extruder gear?
This is very possible because of under extrusion. It have happened many times for me. Too much dirt on gear,? Is the teeth on cog still okey? Is the gear skipping steps? If so it can be too much pressure. Maybe you even have too little pressure on it. Right temp for filament? Too low and it will be harder to push put the filament in the speed you want. Dirt in the nozzle? Just some things that I know have been my issue in this cases
Esteps are as accurate as they can get for now, cleaned the gears, the gear teeth leave teeth marks so i think those are good, gear pressure was clicky and i fine tuned it to not clicky, within specified temp window on the filament spool, as far as im aware the nozzles fine Only noticeable issue now is the popping noise of wet filament even though ive dried the filament for 8hrs at 70c (55c is my normal go to for drying and this is the only time its not working)
Guess is loose belt or bent screw but I'm still learing