If you have the Y splitter you’ll get effective cooling close to 10%. The big fan doesn’t really flow air below about 20%. The way I use it is max fan for bridges and steep overhangs, about 50% the rest of the time, or 0-20% for parts that need very good layer adhesion.
I’ve had luck turning it on the 2nd layer, but I don’t see why delayed it even later would be an issue.
I agree with @brent113. I have 100% for bridges, otherwise I have printed with 50-75% fan from layer 2 and had no issues with failed prints.
Different materials will react differently to a high level of cooling airflow. PLA has been fine in all my tests even with fan on 75% for the full print duration. But other materials such as PETG it can cause layer separation and in ABS it WILL cause layer separation.
Your mileage will also vary depending on your print temp, if you were already calibrated for the lowest nozzle temp before adding more cooling it may be that you now require a slight bump in nozzle temp (try +5deg). With a significant change in cooling like with this mod I would also suggest re-doing any retraction calibrations you may have done.
I’m trying with PLA with my usual temperatures of 205 for nozzle and 60 for plate. I’ve been trying to get tree supports to adhere to the plate correctly but it always ends up peeling off the plate unless I put a raft. The tree supports appears to stick to the raft well until it starts printing the actual part and that just ends up getting knocked off the supports. The tree supports are having trouble with the amount of cooling I throw at it. I’ve been trying 60% and all the way down to 30% and it still ends up with the same issues. I’ll try upping the temperature of the nozzle to 215 and bed to 65 for PLA and I’ve tweaked my support settings a bit. I’ll try having cooling start at layer 2 with 50% fan speed and 100% for bridging.
Do any of you use Cura and have a profile they use with this modification and use tree supports? If so, would you be willing to share said profile so I could give that a try?
Thanks
What layer height are you using? I haven’t had good luck with this machine under .16mm. what you’re describing sort of sounds like something is curling up and getting hit by the nozzle and knocked off during a sideways move. Are you using z hop?
I am trying to use .12mm and yes I do use z hop but it’s curling so much that even my 2mm z hop isn’t enough to not hit the parts and knock them off the supports. I’ve seen people talk about using .1mm layer height and have no issues but I just don’t get how. I’m assuming it’s because it’s parts that don’t require supports.
If curling is your issue causing supports or parts of the print to be knocked off the bed then more heat is not the cure. Curling is caused by insufficient cooling so you want to be going the other way, either reducing temps or increasing fan.
If you think its due to poor layer adhesion then it could possibly be too high a fan setting but as I havent had any issues with PLA (I print at 190C with 55C bed at 75% fan) I would think that is not likely to be the case.
Are you sure your z-offset is calibrated properly? having it too close or far from the bed can cause poor adhesion leading to support being knocked off. If your problem is specifically with tree supports, try reducing the tree support branch angle, I have has success using 40 degrees for that parameter.
you can download my cura profile below to try but your temps and retractions settings will probably vary with the brand of filament. I have succesfully printed tree supports with this profile multiple times although I havent done so since adding this mod so can confirm specifically that it would work now (althought I dont see why it wouldnt)
After a 10+ hour print yesterday I started another print and I noticed the vent was dragging on the build plate and hooking onto what was just printed. Ya it warped…
Oh no! Hmmm, I wonder why. I’m guessing the fan was on very low? Maybe this should be printed out of PETG or something else more temperature resistant.
Also, the nozzle could be brought further back from the hotend too. If everyone is having trouble with too much cooling perhaps that would be better.
Here’s a modification to the model where it’s rotated an additional 10degrees away and moved an additional 3mm back, if you’re interested in reprinting it.
5015 Blower Mount +3mm Clearance.stl (627.2 KB)
New (left) versus the original (right):
I would like to try this mod, but the fan is out of stock on Amzon. So, I tried to find alternative one.
What do you think about this one as alternative? This seems to be a little less performant than the original, but it seems to be much quieter.
It’s 50% larger diameter, 100% thicker, and not 24V rated.
This is great! Thank you - I’ll try this mod, too
Shit.
The link to the fan you posted on thingiverse was a pair of 12v fans but you are saying above it needs to be a 24v model?
I had seen your mod on thingiverse and ordered the fan, diode and tape. i was going to come by and look for how you assembled it and looks like I will need to create a splitter.
I guess I need to go back and order a 24V one and the connectors and crimpers yet
ARG AMAZON WHY. The seller changed the product at that link, that used to be a 24V fan. I guess I need to pull the link down. Also that’s not even a 5015, now that’s a 7530, massive fan.
LOL okay, ill try to find the right one. I presume its the right dimensions and just need it in 24v instead?
I think it’s this fan:
It got moved.
oh okay thats smaller too, thanks!
Yea the name is the dimensions. a 7530 is 75mm by 30mm, that won’t fit my model. Could modify it if you so choose.
I’m not sure that’s the right connector. It’s a JST, but it doesn’t look like an XH which looks like this:
That might not plug in.
It looks like a JST RCY, common on R/C stuff: http://www.jst-mfg.com/product/detail_e.php?series=521
All right fine ill get the dumb gun lol
I have like 3 of these damn things that i dont use for anything haha
I’m sure you are right, they wont work together because nothing is easy.
You could get this and splice together your own without crimping
