I’m trying to print this:
I can get a good 1st layer, but maybe because of the vibration (the head and plate moves a lot) it jars some of the leg pieces off causing the print to fail. THoughts or tips on making this print successful?
You will need a very clean build plate and possibly gluestick for something like this. All those teeny tiny joints need all the sticking power they can get.
A Smooth PEI plate coated with gluestick will have the best chance of the print from staying put, especially if you have a bed slinger printer like the A1 series.
If you only have a textured plate, then a super deep clean of the plate + glue stick should be the first step.
Proper build plate cleaning:
The most important parts:
- Use plain dish soap (no weird additives, moisturizers, or anti-bacterials). Plain, nothing added dish soap.
- Scrub with a clean bristle brush. Not the one used to scrub the greasy pan from last night. A clean one.
- Rinse very well and while you’re rinsing…
- DON’T touch the surface of the plate with bare skin. Skin oils transfer in an instant.
Air dry or dry with a clean microfibre cloth. Don’t touch the surface of the plate with your hands. Only use the cloth, or hold by the edges with your finger tips.
Second Step: Check your Filament
Old filament, wet filament, or old and wet filament will have adhesion problems. Try a newer recently dried roll instead. Silk filaments also tend to want a hotter temperature of the build plate, especially on textured. Increase build plate temp by 5-10 degrees.
If you still have problems, then I would try the following settings changes in Studio:
- Slow down the first layer speed to 20 mm/s; and
- Set elephant foot to 0; or
- Set first layer flow to 1.1
If you cannot see these settings, you will need to enable Developer mode (down arrow beside the File menu → Preferences → Develop mode).
Note that #2 and #3 may cause fusing issues which might prevent the legs from moving freely. I haven’t printed the model myself so I don’t know what tolerances the designer built in.
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I would advise against using a glue. Although it is called ‘glue’, its purpose is not to make the print adhere better, but rather to make it easier to remove. This creates a separating layer. This is particularly necessary for certain materials that adhere too strongly to the print plate and require a release layer. For PLA, glue should almost never be used; instead, adjust the print settings and select the appropriate plate.
I would like to see the term ‘glue’ in 3D printing changed to ‘easier to remove’. Glue is rarely the solution when it comes to PLA; it simply does not address the original problem. So causing even more problems.
Using glue is a remnant from years gone by when there was no alternative print plates. We moved beyond that a few years ago. Glue is now only used for special materials.
Edit: You can also read about it here:
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For such prints, I recommend buying a printer plate that is specially designed to hold PLA better. Of course, there are versions for all printers.
Smooth PEI Plate
There is also note that says: “Only PLA filament does not require glue, while printing with other filaments requires the use of gluing to prevent the PEI sheet from tearing.”
https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/filament-acc/acc/plates
This is a really good purchase, but be careful - the PLA really sticks! Here’s a tip: after printing, put the printout on the plate in the freezer for five minutes, then remove it.
Use brim. Or get a Super Tack plate.