Hi all! Quick update from me here. I’ve been working non-stop for 1-2wks on printing. I finally gave up on Studio and I switched to Orca and I’m never going back. The calibration options alone have been incredibly helpful.
I also gave up on PLA for now. I switched to PETG (SUNLU off Amazon). I still have a long ways to go BUT I’m finally getting acceptable prints every time.
Examples:
Here’s my current settings (I’ve adjusted some settings for the better since this screenshot, and will keep adjusting, but this is close):
Lowering my max print speeds for PLA and PETG helped (both individual settings for layer speeds and volumetric flow), as did adjusting fan speeds.
@djeZo888 had the most helpful comments for me.
I will say… I’ve still had PETG z-banding issues on layers with support interface, just like with PLA. Lower layer height still brings it out more clearly. From my experience with PETG so far, it’s making me realize the core issue may be mostly cooling related (not enough, too much, and every other possible factor). I have a lot to figure out still, and I’m honestly bummed about the entire experience thus far… seeing so many people brag about how they unbox their Bambu printers and “it just prints!” without drying or anything… makes me feel like I have a lemon. But at least I’m getting acceptable prints at this time.
I suspect retraction length/speed, PA, flow ratio, and cooling, are the settings I still need to tweak to get better prints at lower layer heights and to better avoid stringing with PETG.
I’ll update again when I have anything worth sharing. Thanks for all the collaboration on troubleshooting and everything! Please keep the comments coming, anyone who’s reading this and would like to share anything or add any feedback. Y’all are the best!
Edit: oh and to answer a question from above, my filament dryer I use is a $40 food dehydrator from Amazon. I haven’t bought a new IR gun yet (tldr had to toss mine) and I don’t have a way of precise measuring of how hot the dehydrator gets, but I think it’s fairly accurate in appropriate temps for PETG and PLA.