Bottom Layer issue

[fmeroney]

New to creator so bear with me.

So when I go to print an object like this Minion (see below) what happens is that it prints very well until it starts the lower spherical shape.

What I think is happening is that its assuming that each lower abdomen layer is "Bottom Solid Layer" and adding that amount of layers, in my case I had 3. So it would make the feet bottoms 3 solid layers do great and then hit the abdomen and do the same for each layer on the overhang sections. This added so much material that it was curling and would just mush the plastic around, almost like wiping the inside of a mayo jar with a spatula.

To alleviate most of the issue i set bottom solid layers to 1, much better but still not great....

My Makerbot at work prints this fantastic.... getting worried that I should have gone that route.

[jimc]

hmmm, thats odd. i have printed plenty of things like this and never had it do that. i guess for anyone to help we will need some more info. #1 how big is this minion your printing, maybe the dia at the top of his pants? what is your infill set to? do you have the "print solid diaphragm every "x" layers" to off? maybe someone else will chime in with other ideas.

[fmeroney]

Hi Jim,
I tried printing it at 25mm first, that was a complete failure, but on my makerbot at work printed great. The subsequent 25 tries were at 50mm high... Same issues but at a reduced rate. All prints were canceled by me due to poor quality.

The diameter at his pants is around 40 mm or so.

Ext dia - .35
Ext width - .39
Ext mult - .90

Layer height .25
Top Solid layers -3
Bot solid layers - 3
Shells - 2

Infill - 20%
Overlap - 5

Ext temp 190c
Bed temp 60c

Lower speeds print best, around 2000 mm/min

Solid diaphram is not checked, but robust slicing is.

See pic below for whats going on.
Left shows how the lip or curl forms.
Middle shows the early stage of how the layeing happens
Right shows with only one bottom solid layer used.

[jimc]

Well im just looking at your pics on my phone but your infill is set at 20% and in all 3 pics that appears to be what you have there. By your description i was expecting to see solid infill. I assume your using pla? If so is your bed fan on? It appears the plastic is getting too hot because there is no time to cool. If thats the case bed fa needs to be 100% speed and there is another setting for if a layer takes less than "x" seconds then slow the print speed down to "x" %. Make sure thats on and i have mine set to 10%

[fmeroney]

Using PLA, Fans on 100% after 1st layer. Sped real low, with kickdown for certain layer size.

So not sure, maybe crappy luck?

[jimc]

well im finally looking at your pics on a normal monitor here. i see they dont look like the cleanest prints for sure but i dont see where its printing solid infill anywhere. from your explanation its my understanding that the whole area which would be his pants was printing solid. did i misunderstand? from the pics it looks like the pla is just too darn hot and its deforming as its being printed.

[fmeroney]

Sorry, you misunderstood me. What is happening is that its printing the overhangs, and overhangs only, as a "Bottom Solid Layer" so it put too much plastic down. I will try a reprint with 0 bottom layers. Infill is set at 20%. The tip is 190, and I have tried 180, same results. Can you try this on your machine if you get a chance? Maybe its a bad model?

[jimc]

post up a link to the specific model you are printing. i am currently waiting for my hot end to come back from makergear. it needed a new heat core. hopefully ill have it back by the end of the week and ill try this out.


oh nevermind, is this it?

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:82480

[fmeroney]

Hi Jim,
Its that one, let me know if you make a print. If I resolve the issue I will post up my findings.

Thanks for your help!!

[jimc]

hey i dont know what ever came of your minion but i finally got my new hotend and tried to print it. it prints great for me. i am not having the edges curl up like in your pics. everything is nice and smooth.