Hi All – so I’m new to 3D printing and I have to say its not going well. I took delivery of a X1C a month ago and the first few weeks were fine as I was just playing around and getting to know the machine. My problem is that for the last few weeks I’ve not been able to produce a single completed ‘good’ print. I’m using Bambu filaments (basic, silk+ & PLACF) and without fail, ever single print I do fails on the first layer, wither with the filament not adhering and sliding over the bed or with the first layer being torn up. So far, I’ve tried:
- Upgrading the firmware
- Doing factory resets (several times)
- Doing Calibration (several times)
- Washing the bed with soapy water (several times)
- Adjusting the bed temperature (upwards)
- Adjusting the 1st layer speeds (downwards, many times)
- Adjusting the 1st layer height (up and down, many times)
- Adding loops & brims (many times)
Whilst I’m happy to play around fixing minor issues, my take of the X1C to date is that its pretty useless and if it really is one of the best models on the market, I dare to think what other lesser rated printers are like. I’m pretty close to boxing it up and sending it back to Bambu but I thought, given I don’t have extensive experience in 3D printing, I’d see if there’s anything I’m missing.
Any suggestions or ideas would be gratefully received.
Thanks
Assuming you are using the textured PEI sheet… In addition to using soap (I use Dawn dish soap) I also use one of those sponges with a green scouring pad on it to lightly scrub the plate using the scouring pad and then rinse with clean water to remove any soap.
I don’t apply much pressure to the sponge, almost like I’m sliding it across the bed, meaning you don’t need to scour the plate just lightly scrub it. Hope that makes sense. Secondly, do everything you can to not touch the surface. I only handle my sheet using the front ears. Dust and finger oils are your enemy. This usually gets me by for weeks till I need to do another light scrub.
99% of my bed adhesion problems have been fixed using the above method.
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There is about a hundred of basically identical topics LOL
Prints not sticking to the bed mean just one single thing > Learn how to properly clean you build plate and how to best apply the liquid glue - and why it helps to use the glue.
Plate cleaning for dummies - NO OFFENCE !
- Remove all stick stuck plastic bits.
- Using a soft sponge wash the plate with warm soapy water.
A drop or two of dishwashing liquid works fine.
- Rinse the plate under running water and observe how the water behaves.
Different looking spots or areas where the water won’t wet the plate means you repeat step 2.
- Wipe the plate dry using a microfibre cloth.
- Clean the plate again using 100% IPA or a good window cleaner that still contains Ammonia.
- Once wiped clean wet the plate again with the IPA and rub it dry using a paper towel.
- Until you got fully used to proper plate handling it really helps to wear some vinyl or nitrile gloves to avoid getting finger pints and other marks on the plate.
Glue stick use for dummies >
For PLA there usually is no need to apply glue on the plate.
ABS loves to warp and while a brim is good, a layer of glue can really help to make things stick.
PETG and NYLON should always be used with the glue as otherwise these materials can permanently fuse with the build plate.
Of course there is not just textured PEI plates and some smooth plates can make it hard to get proper bed adhesion.
IF all print settings are fine but the print still struggle a thin layer of glue can make a big difference.
Ok, but how to apply this stuff in the best possible way?
I use small blocks I cut out of a kitchen sponge…
Goes like this>
Dab the glue stick a few times on the plate to get 10 to 12 evenly spaced dots.
Put two or three drops of water on the small sponge square and use it to wipe the glue evenly over the plate.
First time doing this?
Repeat if the sponge goes dry before you were able to evenly wipe over the plate.
After two or three rounds of this the sponge is well prepped.
After that it is enough to let the sponge dry and after a few prints you just add a few drops of water to the sponge and the glue on the plate and sponge will refurbish the glue layer on the plate.
I also have a second little sponge block I use to clean the plate if it starts to look a bit filthy.
This one I wash and rise out after a couple of uses so it stays able to take off the glue.
With this routine the glue amount you actually use goes down to near nothing while you only need to properly clean the plate as above when it is no longer possible to remove the print shadows from the plate using just the glue sponge.
Sound hard and complicated but once you made it a routine it really just takes under 2 minutes 
In addition to plate cleaning, DRY YOUR FILAMENT. Even the filament just out of the vacuum sealed pack. Especially if you see the filament bubbling or drooling out of the nozzle.
It’s my understanding that filament is produced by extruding it into a water bath for cooling. Presumably not all of the water always gets taken back out before it’s packaged up, by every manufacturer.
FWIW, I like the eBOX Lite dryer. Settable temperature, rollers to print straight out of the dryer.
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