this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2023
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Issues with layer adhesion (i think) (lemmy.world)
submitted 11 months ago by ArtVandelay@lemmy.world to c/3dprinting@lemmy.world
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I'm a beginner 3D printing novice. I have done about 5-6 successful prints so far, and my last two have technically come out fine, but they seem very brittle. By brittle, i mean that both prints have snapped cleanly into several pieces, not by design. My extremely novice research has led me to think it's a layer adhesion issue - it is very cold here where I am right now, and I print in a non-climate controlled shed because of reasons. I do have an enclosure though, so i tried printing my PLA at 205 instead of 200, but same result. Is there a better way to correct prints snapping apart like that? I don't feel like i used any excessive force.

Ender 3 Pro Polymaker dual matte white/black PLA 1.75mm

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[–] ArtVandelay@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Before this they were typically ok - I did tram the bed again using a sticky note just to be safe. However, since I'm new, i'm still getting a feel (literally) for how much resistance is correct. Would a print sticking too much to the bed be an indication my z offset is too low (meaning nozzle too close) ? Typically people complain about too little adhesion, and i have too much lol

[–] IMALlama@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yes, leveling too low can give you very strong adhesion. It's worth noting that PEI beds tend to lose adhesion as they and the print cool down. I can remove cooled prints without much effort off my bed, bit hot prints take some more convincing.

You can set nozzle distance with a mechanical feeler, like your sticky note, but you will need to fine tune some based on things like extrusion temperature and type of filament. This guide was made for printers with auto bed leveling, but the pictures are helpful.

Here are some signs you're too close to the bed:

  • a ripply first layer
  • areas of the first layer with no filament and/or a clicking extruder motor (your nozzle is too close to the bed and can't extrude at all)
  • elephant's foot (the first few layers stick out more horizontally than the layers above them
  • a thin and brittle skirt that flakes off in pieces vs coming off as a continuous loop. Removing these tends to leave a very thin layer of residual material on your bed that you can see, but not really feel
  • layer lines that are too smooshed together
[–] ArtVandelay@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That sounds exactly like my problem, I will adjust, thank you very much

[–] IMALlama@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Beware that this may convert you into a, "huh, nothing is sticking that well" person. In that case, clean your bed first.

First layer quality is probably the first thing to get right since everything else is literally built on top of it.