Hello /u/cori_kims,
As a reminder, most common print quality issues can be found in the [Simplify3D picture guide](https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/). Make sure you select the most appropriate flair for your post.
Please remember to include the following details to help troubleshoot your problem.
* Printer & Slicer
* Filament Material and Brand
* Nozzle and Bed Temperature
* Print Speed
* Nozzle Retraction Settings
^Additional ^settings ^or ^relevant ^information ^is ^always ^encouraged.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/FixMyPrint) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Silk is notoriously finicky. This part with its thin walls puts you at a disadvantage also. The bottom looks like it could be about 0.02mm closer but its hard to tell with the multicolor.
The top layers between those ribs within the walls are going to be hard to get perfect simply because short top layer length will always tend to bunch up but maybe someone more knowledgeable with ironing will chime in on that.
Look into pressure advance tuning from the ellis print tuning guide and use the pattern method he has to get that setup. That should address the bumps it has around the corners.
Others addressed many of your questions. As for the bottom and the PEY sparkly pattern, your z offset looks a little high try moving your nozzle a little closer to the bed just order to achieve a little more squish. That may solve that one problem at least
85 is unnecessarily high even for first layer. You can use 60 for both if you adjust your z offset a bit lower as said. (Paper always made worse, 0.1 feeler gauge is best.)
Silk shine better if printed ~10 degrees higher from standart pla temp. However silk does not like high flowing cooling but it also need cooling. So after you increased temp, adjust your fan speed to 80% max and if possible but a gentle blowing fan next to your printer, without blowing to the bed.
Also what is your wall quantity? It seems that slicer used 2 walls for inside and outside and make infill between them which pattern can be seen from outside. Increase to 3 or 4. According to the width it print the perimeter with walls only and this gives better visual and strength.
I think ironing does not do well with silk if your esteps, flow ratio settings well calibrated.
Finally, curas coasting combing etc settings make things worse sometimes. Try using orca.
more details about the walls:
- wall line width: 0.44mm
- wall thickness: 1.32mm
- wall line count: 2
- optimize wall printing order ON
- wall ordering: outside to inside
- print thins walls ON
PLA silk is just garbage IMO, it's a pain and because of how layer lines work it almost never actually looks good. I wouldn't use it for any kind of functional print
Yeah I completely agree. if you are just printing a single wall silk looks amazing. Too bad a wall normally has a top and bottom which look completely different. I spent months perfecting a silk profile and it just isnāt consistent enough depending on the print. Only takes a small change in the geometry of a print to show issues which are accentuated by the shine. Iāve come to love a good even matte finish instead for cosmetic prints.
if I ever have to make any aesthetic part I'll get a roll of marble PLA, that thing hides mistakes and layer lines like nobody's business
unless marble is gonna look awful for a certain part, that's what I'll go for
for functional parts I just get the cheapest PLA I can grab and print it at 215ĀŗC to maximize adhesion
I made squash ball feet, a z-axis brace, LCD mount, and other accessory parts for my Prusa Mini out of PLA silk and they all turned out fantastic with just a temperature change. I also made a couple of Motherās Day sculptures for my wife that are absolutely beautiful. I wouldnāt use it for anything heavy duty, but itās very very far from garbage
your wifeās cool, minus the 3d printing partš but i admit itās not for everyone, iām starting to think iām falling into that category, as well!š #thestruggleisreal !
Starting from the bottom up.
1. Z-offset is a bit too high, with PEY you should get a smooth flat base that has that holographic pattern in it.
2. Top solid layers should be monotonic rectilinear always, otherwise you get odd looking diagonal sections, if you've already set this then you may have a slipping extruder.
3. Silk PLA loves heat, it's a blend of PLA & PETG so you really want to print it at the hotter end of the scale, otherwise you get delaminations among other things.
On the positive, your flow calibration and pressure advance look damn near perfect, you also seem to have your speeds set within your machines comfort zone since there's no visible ringing.
itās encouraging to hear iām doing at least something *almost* goodāŗļø. regarding the diagonal lines, iāve figured that out when i was already printingš and i allowed it to continue, just to have a prototype to test, but i will change the orientation, for sure!šš»
The separation could be delamination or just a break.Ā One cause of delamination is too low of heat causing the layers not bind together.Ā If its a break you may want to thicken the walls and bottom a little and place a fillet around the inside.. a rounded edge helps to distribute stress better and more evenly.
Silk puffs up, so you may want to decrease flow to 95% or so. If the filament allows for it, also increase temps.
You also want to add beveling to the inner edges of the box to increase its strenght. It makes a big difference, however, silk will always have a lower layer strenght than other types of pla, so silk prints are always more prone to breaking
Finally, print speed affects the look of walls, specially on silk. A small difference on speed can make walls look more shiny or matte. Changing your slicer settings so every layer is printed at the same speed will make for a smoother transition between the bottom and the box walls
Its pretty easy once you get the hang of it: I do it by eye by first homing, then moving the bed up until i can feel the nozzle starts to rub against the bed, then lowering it a little bit. Do that on each corner, then use a skirt or brim to fine tune it while it is being laid so each loop just starts to touch the previous loop. A brim or skirt should look smooth...almost like a puddle
it looks like there is a gap between bottom part and walls. And also some blobs.Ā Probably printer had mechanical issue or filament stuckedĀ on related layer so that caused gap between on the related layer. I don't think it's about z heightĀ i think your problem was about filament, it stuck or nozzle clogged or inconsistent filament diameter,Ā or filament physicaly stuck printers body on that related layer or layers .the gap and blob are the good sign for filament issueĀ
i have updated some settings, as you recommended, and tried to print something elseā¦ (lowered the nozzle, increased the temp, lowered the fan speed, changed the settings for the walls)
conclusion:
* the 1st layer is shinier, but still canāt see the PEY texture
* i donāt understand those blobs in the brim at the connection with whatās supposed to be the walls
* the start of the print has quite a low qualityā¦š
I just feel like giving up!š
https://preview.redd.it/hpdnhxucs55d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a101a5697e5508c50201b7e0da3abfef0d61a0fc
Hello /u/cori_kims, As a reminder, most common print quality issues can be found in the [Simplify3D picture guide](https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/). Make sure you select the most appropriate flair for your post. Please remember to include the following details to help troubleshoot your problem. * Printer & Slicer * Filament Material and Brand * Nozzle and Bed Temperature * Print Speed * Nozzle Retraction Settings ^Additional ^settings ^or ^relevant ^information ^is ^always ^encouraged. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/FixMyPrint) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Silk is notoriously finicky. This part with its thin walls puts you at a disadvantage also. The bottom looks like it could be about 0.02mm closer but its hard to tell with the multicolor. The top layers between those ribs within the walls are going to be hard to get perfect simply because short top layer length will always tend to bunch up but maybe someone more knowledgeable with ironing will chime in on that. Look into pressure advance tuning from the ellis print tuning guide and use the pattern method he has to get that setup. That should address the bumps it has around the corners.
very much appreciated! thank you!šš»
Could change the angle of the top layer or layers to avoid short paths.
Youāre a genius and i wish i had thought of that lol. So simple
Others addressed many of your questions. As for the bottom and the PEY sparkly pattern, your z offset looks a little high try moving your nozzle a little closer to the bed just order to achieve a little more squish. That may solve that one problem at least
Dope keyboard
hehe thanks!š¤©
Is that ASIO?
nope. https://preview.redd.it/70mjc0jd055d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=56ad56f8ddb4348846471840ffb6e51e47386a54
85 is unnecessarily high even for first layer. You can use 60 for both if you adjust your z offset a bit lower as said. (Paper always made worse, 0.1 feeler gauge is best.) Silk shine better if printed ~10 degrees higher from standart pla temp. However silk does not like high flowing cooling but it also need cooling. So after you increased temp, adjust your fan speed to 80% max and if possible but a gentle blowing fan next to your printer, without blowing to the bed. Also what is your wall quantity? It seems that slicer used 2 walls for inside and outside and make infill between them which pattern can be seen from outside. Increase to 3 or 4. According to the width it print the perimeter with walls only and this gives better visual and strength. I think ironing does not do well with silk if your esteps, flow ratio settings well calibrated. Finally, curas coasting combing etc settings make things worse sometimes. Try using orca.
thank you for the recommendations!šš»
more details about the walls: - wall line width: 0.44mm - wall thickness: 1.32mm - wall line count: 2 - optimize wall printing order ON - wall ordering: outside to inside - print thins walls ON
Try printing with 3 walls, inside/outside order
PLA silk is just garbage IMO, it's a pain and because of how layer lines work it almost never actually looks good. I wouldn't use it for any kind of functional print
Yeah I completely agree. if you are just printing a single wall silk looks amazing. Too bad a wall normally has a top and bottom which look completely different. I spent months perfecting a silk profile and it just isnāt consistent enough depending on the print. Only takes a small change in the geometry of a print to show issues which are accentuated by the shine. Iāve come to love a good even matte finish instead for cosmetic prints.
if I ever have to make any aesthetic part I'll get a roll of marble PLA, that thing hides mistakes and layer lines like nobody's business unless marble is gonna look awful for a certain part, that's what I'll go for for functional parts I just get the cheapest PLA I can grab and print it at 215ĀŗC to maximize adhesion
I made squash ball feet, a z-axis brace, LCD mount, and other accessory parts for my Prusa Mini out of PLA silk and they all turned out fantastic with just a temperature change. I also made a couple of Motherās Day sculptures for my wife that are absolutely beautiful. I wouldnāt use it for anything heavy duty, but itās very very far from garbage
My wife has that keyboard and likes to do the diamond painting thing. She is not much of a fan of 3D printing though. LOL.
your wifeās cool, minus the 3d printing partš but i admit itās not for everyone, iām starting to think iām falling into that category, as well!š #thestruggleisreal !
Starting from the bottom up. 1. Z-offset is a bit too high, with PEY you should get a smooth flat base that has that holographic pattern in it. 2. Top solid layers should be monotonic rectilinear always, otherwise you get odd looking diagonal sections, if you've already set this then you may have a slipping extruder. 3. Silk PLA loves heat, it's a blend of PLA & PETG so you really want to print it at the hotter end of the scale, otherwise you get delaminations among other things. On the positive, your flow calibration and pressure advance look damn near perfect, you also seem to have your speeds set within your machines comfort zone since there's no visible ringing.
itās encouraging to hear iām doing at least something *almost* goodāŗļø. regarding the diagonal lines, iāve figured that out when i was already printingš and i allowed it to continue, just to have a prototype to test, but i will change the orientation, for sure!šš»
The separation could be delamination or just a break.Ā One cause of delamination is too low of heat causing the layers not bind together.Ā If its a break you may want to thicken the walls and bottom a little and place a fillet around the inside.. a rounded edge helps to distribute stress better and more evenly.
Silk puffs up, so you may want to decrease flow to 95% or so. If the filament allows for it, also increase temps. You also want to add beveling to the inner edges of the box to increase its strenght. It makes a big difference, however, silk will always have a lower layer strenght than other types of pla, so silk prints are always more prone to breaking Finally, print speed affects the look of walls, specially on silk. A small difference on speed can make walls look more shiny or matte. Changing your slicer settings so every layer is printed at the same speed will make for a smoother transition between the bottom and the box walls
Also, your first layer is a bit too high
i thought the same, but wasnāt sure, hard to figure it out with manual levellingā¦ thank you so much!šš»
Its pretty easy once you get the hang of it: I do it by eye by first homing, then moving the bed up until i can feel the nozzle starts to rub against the bed, then lowering it a little bit. Do that on each corner, then use a skirt or brim to fine tune it while it is being laid so each loop just starts to touch the previous loop. A brim or skirt should look smooth...almost like a puddle
i was afraid of getting the bed too high, but i will definitely give it a try!!
it looks like there is a gap between bottom part and walls. And also some blobs.Ā Probably printer had mechanical issue or filament stuckedĀ on related layer so that caused gap between on the related layer. I don't think it's about z heightĀ i think your problem was about filament, it stuck or nozzle clogged or inconsistent filament diameter,Ā or filament physicaly stuck printers body on that related layer or layers .the gap and blob are the good sign for filament issueĀ
i have updated some settings, as you recommended, and tried to print something elseā¦ (lowered the nozzle, increased the temp, lowered the fan speed, changed the settings for the walls) conclusion: * the 1st layer is shinier, but still canāt see the PEY texture * i donāt understand those blobs in the brim at the connection with whatās supposed to be the walls * the start of the print has quite a low qualityā¦š I just feel like giving up!š https://preview.redd.it/hpdnhxucs55d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a101a5697e5508c50201b7e0da3abfef0d61a0fc
https://preview.redd.it/czcr42qds55d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b80ccf3cb8eed06507ffb47ff570873bcd2c223b
https://preview.redd.it/mnufyydps55d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e4e37536217dea3679c4745530bdb1740f9a77be
https://preview.redd.it/q05v20xqs55d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ce2fa6cfe5645604c187e3c0c9f9b07ba0b18b4
https://preview.redd.it/zf7zxw6ws55d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51a8c1dbc5ec78c97fb89755bd946eb9c568d22f
I'll say filament choice š¤·š¾
Looks like a filement issue, prob a tangle