Author: Jonathan van Heijzen

How to recognize when 3D printer temperature is too low?

The temperature of the nozzle is crucial for the quality and strength of the printed object. If the temperature is too high, the filament may burn, clog the nozzle, or ooze excessively. If the temperature is too low, the filament may not melt properly, resulting in poor adhesion, under-extrusion, or warping.

So how can you tell if your 3D printer temperature is too low? Here are some signs to look out for:

  • The filament does not stick to the build plate or to the previous layers. This can cause gaps, holes, or cracks in the printed object.
  • The filament curls up or bends at the tip of the nozzle. This can cause stringing, blobs, or zits on the surface of the printed object.
  • The filament snaps or breaks easily. This can cause jams, clogs, or extruder skipping.
  • The printed object has a rough or matte surface. This can reduce the aesthetic appeal and smoothness of the printed object.

If you notice any of these signs, you may need to increase your 3D printer temperature by a few degrees and try again. You can also use a temperature tower test to find the optimal temperature range for your filament and printer model. A temperature tower is a simple model that prints at different temperatures along its height, allowing you to compare the results and choose the best one.

Different filaments have different melting points and require different temperatures. For example, PLA typically prints well at around 200°C, while ABS needs around 230°C. You should always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and adjust accordingly based on your printer’s performance and environment.

Infill is the internal structure that supports the outer shell of a 3D printed object. It can affect the strength, weight, and appearance of the print.

There are many types of infill patterns, such as grid, honeycomb, triangle, gyroid, and more. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the application and the desired properties of the print.

Grid infill is one of the most common and simple patterns. It consists of horizontal and vertical lines that form squares. Grid infill is easy to print and provides good strength in all directions. However, it can also be heavy and use more material than other patterns.

Honeycomb infill is another popular pattern that mimics the structure of a bee’s honeycomb. It consists of hexagonal cells that are connected by thin walls. Honeycomb infill is lighter and more efficient than grid infill, as it uses less material while providing similar strength. However, it can also be more difficult to print and require more processing power.

Triangle infill is a pattern that uses equilateral triangles as the basic unit. It is similar to honeycomb infill in terms of efficiency and strength, but it has fewer connections between the cells, which can reduce printing time and noise. However, it can also be less stable and prone to deformation.

Gyroid infill is a complex pattern that creates a continuous surface with no gaps or holes. It is based on a mathematical function that produces a wavy shape. Gyroid infill is very strong and flexible in all directions, as it can absorb stress from different angles. However, it can also be very slow to print and require a lot of memory.

If you are a 3D printing enthusiast, you might have heard of the term “all-metal hot end”. But what is it and why should you consider upgrading to one?

An all-metal hot end is a hot end that is made completely of metal, as the name implies. This puts it in contrast to the standard hot end that typically comes with 3D printers. A standard hot end is made of a heating block right above the nozzle, a heat sink for drawing away the excess heat, and a coupling that connects to the extruder. The coupling usually contains a PTFE tube that guides the filament into the melt zone.

The main advantage of an all-metal hot end is that it can handle much higher temperatures than a standard hot end. This means that you can print with a wider range of materials that require higher extrusion temperatures, such as Nylon, PET+, Tritan, and Polycarbonate. These materials are stronger and more durable than PLA and ABS, which are the most common filaments for 3D printing.

Another advantage of an all-metal hot end is that it has a smaller and more controlled melt zone. This results in cleaner retractions and less oozing, which improves the print quality and reduces the need for post-processing. An all-metal hot end also has fewer parts and connection points, which makes it easier to maintain and less prone to jams. Moreover, you can easily swap between different nozzle diameters to suit your printing needs.

However, an all-metal hot end is not without drawbacks. The main issue of using an all-metal hot end is the phenomenon known as heat creep. This is when the heat from the nozzle travels up the heat break and reaches the heat sink, causing the filament to soften before it reaches the melt zone. This can lead to clogs, under-extrusion, and poor print quality. To prevent heat creep, you need to ensure that your all-metal hot end has adequate cooling, such as a fan or a water-cooling system.

A Z seam isn’t really a “problem,” so much as it is just something that happens in 3d printing when you use an FDM printer. It is a line or a seam that is created along the Z-axis, where the printhead stops and moves up to print the next layer. This can cause a slight gap, a blob, or a zit on the surface of your print, especially on smooth and round objects.

There are several ways to fix or hide the Z seam in your 3D prints, depending on your slicer settings and your model geometry. Here are some of the most effective methods:

  • Adjust retraction settings: Retraction is when the extruder pulls back the filament slightly to prevent oozing during non-printing movements. By improving your retraction settings, you can reduce the amount of material that leaks out at the end of each layer, which can minimize the Z seam. You can adjust the retraction distance, speed, and extra prime amount in your slicer to find the optimal values for your printer and filament.
  • Change Z seam alignment settings: Z seam alignment is how your slicer decides where to place the Z seam on your model. You can choose between random, shortest, user-specified, or sharpest corner options. Random alignment will scatter the Z seams all over your model, making them less noticeable but also less consistent. Shortest alignment will place the Z seams at the closest point to the previous layer, reducing print time but also creating a visible line. User-specified alignment will let you choose a specific location for the Z seam, such as the back or the front of your model. Sharpest corner alignment will place the Z seams at the sharpest corners of your model, hiding them in the details.
  • Reduce print speed: Print speed affects how much pressure is built up in the hotend during printing. If you print too fast, you may have more material oozing out at the end of each layer, creating a bigger Z seam. By reducing your print speed, you can lower the pressure and improve the flow control of your extruder, resulting in a smoother surface finish.
  • Enable coasting: Coasting is when your slicer stops extruding a little bit before the end of each perimeter, letting the remaining pressure in the nozzle push out the filament. This can help reduce oozing and stringing, as well as Z seams. However, coasting can also cause under-extrusion or gaps in some cases, so you need to experiment with different coasting distances and volumes to find the right balance.
  • Enable linear advance: Linear advance is a firmware feature that adjusts the extruder pressure based on the print speed and acceleration. It can help improve print quality by compensating for over-extrusion and under-extrusion at different speeds. By enabling linear advance, you can also reduce the Z seam by having more consistent extrusion throughout each layer.

There are several factors that can cause weak infill in 3D prints, such as:

  • Infill density: This is the percentage of material used to fill the interior of a 3D printed object. A higher infill density means more material and stronger infill, while a lower infill density means less material and weaker infill. A general rule of thumb is to use at least 20% infill density for most prints.
  • Infill pattern: This is the shape of the material used to fill the interior of a 3D printed object. There are many types of infill patterns, such as grid, honeycomb, triangular, gyroid, etc. Some infill patterns are stronger than others, depending on how they distribute the material and how they connect with the outer shell of the object. For example, honeycomb and triangular patterns are stronger than grid and lines patterns.
  • Infill speed: This is the speed at which the nozzle moves while printing the infill. A higher infill speed means faster printing time, but it can also cause under-extrusion, which means not enough material is extruded from the nozzle. Under-extrusion can result in weak and stringy infill, as well as poor adhesion between the layers. A lower infill speed means slower printing time, but it can also ensure better extrusion and stronger infill.
  • Infill line width: This is the thickness of the material used to print the infill. A higher infill line width means more material and stronger infill, while a lower infill line width means less material and weaker infill. The optimal infill line width depends on the nozzle size and layer height you are using. A general rule of thumb is to use an infill line width that is equal to or slightly larger than your nozzle size.

How to Fix Weak Infill?

If you have diagnosed that your 3D prints have weak infill, you can try some of these solutions to fix it:

  • Increase your infill density: This is the easiest way to improve your infill strength. You can adjust your infill density in your slicer software before printing. As mentioned earlier, a minimum of 20% infill density is recommended for most prints.
  • Change your infill pattern: This can also make a big difference in your infill strength. You can choose a different infill pattern in your slicer software before printing. As mentioned earlier, some patterns are stronger than others, so you may want to experiment with different options and see what works best for your print.
  • Lower your infill speed: This can help prevent under-extrusion and improve your infill quality. You can adjust your infill speed in your slicer software before printing. A good way to find the optimal speed is to start with a low value and gradually increase it until you see signs of under-extrusion or poor quality.
  • Increase your infill line width: This can also help increase your infill strength by using more material. You can adjust your infill line width in your slicer software before printing. As mentioned earlier, a good way to find the optimal value is to use an online calculator or a test print.

If you own a 3D printer that runs on Klipper firmware, you might have spent a lot of time tweaking your printer.cfg file to get the best performance and quality. But what if something goes wrong and you lose your configuration? Or what if you want to try a different setting but don’t want to lose your previous one? That’s why it’s important to make backups of your Klipper printer configurations.

A backup is a copy of your printer.cfg file that you can save on your computer or a cloud service. You can use a backup to restore your configuration in case of an error, or to switch between different configurations for different purposes. For example, you might have a backup for printing with PLA and another one for printing with PETG. Or you might have a backup for printing fast and another one for printing slow.

Making backups of your Klipper printer configurations is easy and can save you a lot of trouble in the future. Here are the steps to do it:

  1. Connect to your Raspberry Pi via SSH or use the web interface of OctoPrint or Mainsail.
  2. Navigate to the folder where your printer.cfg file is located. Usually, it is in /home/pi/klipper_config.
  3. Copy the printer.cfg file and rename it with a descriptive name. For example, printer_pla.cfg or printer_fast.cfg.
  4. Repeat step 3 for each configuration you want to backup.
  5. Transfer the backup files to your computer or a cloud service using SCP, FTP, or any other method you prefer.

Now you have backups of your Klipper printer configurations that you can use anytime. To restore a backup, just copy the backup file to the folder where your printer.cfg file is located and rename it to printer.cfg. Then restart Klipper and enjoy your printing!

We had a sudden weather change last week here in Texas. The high temperature for the day went from about 65 to about 90 pretty suddenly, and I hadn’t really thought about the implications to my printer. The environment where I keep my printer is “somewhat controlled.” I normally let the HVAC shut off after around 4:00 PM. I also still have my enclosure on the printer, which I need to do to maintain enough heat around the 3d printer.

When the HVAC shut off, the temperature rose pretty quickly in the room and built up too much heat and the printer went into emergency shut down. I was about 30 hours into a 40 hour print, so I didn’t want to start over if I didn’t have to.

I get an error on my phone when this happens and then the machine shuts down. Here is how I was able to recover and what I could have done to prevent the shut down in the first place.

Step #1 – Make sure the heaters stay on. I went to my printer controls and turned on the bed heater to give me some time to work so that the part would not move.

Step #2 – Go to log file to find exact location of nozzle when it shut down. In Klipper, it is pretty easy to find by simply searching through the log files.

Step #3 – Download gcode file and open in code editor. This is tricky. I had to remove all of the gcode that had already been printed, but make sure that each of the setting codes remained. This was pretty time consuming. I had to find the exact spot that the log said the nozzle was when it shut down. Then I had to reupload this modified gcode file so that the printer would resume from there.

Prevention – What I should have done was to remove the enclosure so that it wouldn’t trap all of the heat in. I also should have left my HVAC system on so that the environment would stay cooler.

Note: whenever possible, try to leave the area where your printer homes clear. That way, if you ever have an emergency shutdown your machine can home without having to remove the part.

FDM printing is basically just melting plastic. So we’re using heat. So heat is good and more heat is better, right? Well, not always.

Heat creep is when the heat from the hot end of the nozzle travels up the filament and causes it to melt prematurely. This can result in clogging, warping, stringing, over extrusion, and poor print quality. Heat creep can be caused by several factors, such as poor thermal insulation, overheating of the hot end, insufficient cooling, or inappropriate settings.

Fortunately, there are some simple solutions to fix heat creep and prevent it from ruining your 3D prints. Here are four tips to help you deal with this issue:

  • Check your extruder temperature. Make sure you are using the correct temperature for your filament type and adjust it if needed. A too high temperature can cause the filament to melt too much and leak from the nozzle. A too low temperature can cause under extrusion and poor layer adhesion.
  • Improve your cooling system. A good cooling system can help dissipate the heat from the hot end and keep the filament solid until it reaches the nozzle. You can use a fan to blow air over the heat sink or add a heat break to separate the hot and cold zones of the extruder.
  • Replace your PTFE tube. The PTFE tube is a plastic lining that guides the filament through the extruder. However, it can degrade over time and cause friction and heat buildup. You can replace it with a new one or use a different material that can withstand higher temperatures, such as metal or ceramic.
  • Print slower and in smaller batches. Printing too fast or too many parts at once can generate more heat and stress on the extruder. You can reduce your printing speed and print one part at a time to avoid overheating and improve print quality.

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.