I just setup my my snapmaker and I’ve been trying to test the print quality and what not. But everytime I print anything I just get a giant mess everywhere… Is there something stupid and simple I might be over looking?
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Hi @madbeefer
Doug the newbie here. The more information you can provide the more likely someone on the forum will be able to help. Many users have have started prints that did not adhere to the build plate and there are a number of reasons for that. I will make the assumption this is your problem.
So here is my quick tips to hopefully get you going, Ensure you have calibrated the print head to the build plate. Use RAFT as the option under adhesion, Use the Normal Quality print setting. Not knowing what you are printing I cannot advise on the Support option required.
I hope this gets you going. BTW what are you trying to print?
Doug
I tried messing with those settings and it didn’t make a difference… I was trying to do a test print of a tug boat thing I found. I think something is wrong with the print head, it will push out what I am guessing to be a normal amount of material when it starts that kind of goes onto the stand, then when it goes to the bed to print barely anything comes out and what does just gets caught up on the tip for the most part.
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@madbeefer it sounds like you need to calibrate and lower the print head closer to the bed. From what you describe, it sounds like the filament is not close enough to get “smoothed” onto the bed and just clumping on the print head. Try using thinner paper when calibrating, e.g. receipt from a retail store or gas station. I find that it works better than normal printer paper. Hope that helps.
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Yup, calibration sounds like the main cause if it’s not sticking to the default base sticker.
Check out this thread that has a lot of printing tips and help: Lifting, Warping, Printer troubleshooting, and My General Comments on 3D printing
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Initially, I had zero luck getting the filament to stick to the bed… the nozzle just drug a little clump around the bed. I was finally able to solve it by adjusting some of the initial print settings in the Snapmaker3D software… mainly by increasing the Heated Bed Temp Initial Layer and Printing Temp Initial Layer.
To do so, when your model is open in the Snapmaker3D app. The values that I am using are based on using PLA filament.
- Click on the quality setting that you want to use.
- Click on the tab with the upward facing arrow.
- You won’t be able to adjust any settings in this view, to do so, click on the Duplicate button.
- Set the Heated Bed Temp Initial Layer to something higher than 50º (80º has been working for me pretty well but experiment).
- Set the Printing Temp Initial Layer to something higher than 200º (210º has been working for me pretty well but experiment).
Also, I echo the comments made previously about making sure that things are calibrated properly.
Good luck!
Oz
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Pictures are worth a 1,000 words here… but in the absence of those, I would agree: this sounds like a bed leveling issue.
One of the hardest things about leveling the SM is that it is done completely by feel, using paper that (of course) comes in varying thicknesses. I know that I have a tendency to want to calibrate so that the nozzle is too close to the bed. What I have found is that when I do that, nothing comes the nozzle (or very little), because it has nowhere to go until it reaches is second or third pass. When this happens, I hear a soft “thumping” – a sure indication that i’ve calibrated too tightly.
I believe I finally have the “feel” of this down. Using 20#, general purpose paper, I calibrate each corner such that the nozzle touches the paper just barely hard enough to make a trail (dent) when I pull it. The paper should slide with relative ease, while still feeling definite contact with the nozzle. If you pull the paper, and it is on the verge of tearing, it is too tight. After calibrating it once, go back and do it a couple more times to make sure none of your points changed during the levelling process. If all points meet this criteria after my third round, I consider it level, and I save the settings. Make sure to level before every print.
I agree with Doug: When in doubt, use a raft. It will help compensate for any minute miscalibration.
If you are positive that your SM is nice and level and you still have these problems, and you are using the SM software at their presets, you might want to open the printing module and make sure everything looks kosher. Some people have reported screws missing, or something being out of alignment inside. There is a video on how to best do this.
If you aren’t getting any help, attach a few pictures to this thread, and maybe you will get some more cogent advice.
Good luck.
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