Need help..........Printing problems with Creality Ender 3. Update: Solved. 10/07/19

[davidhk129]

I have at least 2 issues :

1. The printing does not start at the center of the bed, It always starts closer to the right side and a little towards the back.
See screenshot...…. printing Elmer Fudd


I know how to use the slicer to center the model at the middle of the build grid before "preparing" it to gcode file.
But that does not deter printing to begin close to the right side.
I did check the X and Y axis. The setting is 0 (zero) for both
NOTICE : the body section is moved slightly to the right of the screen. It shows after removing the supports.


2. I am unable to print those star wars space ships. After a few minutes of printing, the supports will start tilting to the right and I have to abort the printing. I used the same stl file and prepped for gcodes using both Cura. Cura 3.4.1 and Cura 4.3.
Makes no difference. Same issue...…… supports started slanting to the right and the model became distorted in shape.

See screenshot ……. printing X-wing fighter



I'll try to print the A-wing and see what will happen.

 

[davidhk129]

No. A-Wing printing failed. Same issue.
Very disappointed.

 

[wafflejock]

Issue 1 is easy if the print bed dimensions in the slicer are wrong then it will generate g-code that targets the center wrong (if it thinks the bed is 300x300 it assumes the center is at 150x150, if your bed is really 200x200 it will be off center).

Issue 2 I have never seen before but could be caused by something creating drag in the direction the model is tilting, if you have any known good gcode see if that is exhibiting the same behavior to take the slicer out the equation and the new gcode. If it still happens with older model would see if the axis is moving smoothly when the motors are turned off (moving it by hand don't go really fast or can drive high voltage spikes back into the control board from the motors acting like generators). Could also try tweaking the potentiometer on the stepper drivers or on the control board or through config changes but would first try some known good gcode.

 

[davidhk129]

Thank you. But I am not sure your 3 screenshots will be useful for me.
Different printers have different settings. Yes ?

 

[wafflejock]

Well I mean the first screenshot shows the menu to open to see the second and then hit the machine settings button there to see the third screen, the third screen has the pritner width depth and height defined if you fix those it will fix the not being centered.

 

[davidhk129]

I see. Thank you very much.

 

[davidhk129]

I am presently printing the Ball-inside -a-Cube model.
It's printing properly...… so far.
I'll check the Printer Settings after that.

 

[davidhk129]

Printer settings adjusted ……………………..

 

[davidhk129]

I'll be a jumping monkey !!!
This print comes out straight like an arrow!

 

[davidhk129]

The "centering" issue is fixed. Thank you.

Now, hope against all hopes, I am printing a X-wing, again.

 

[wafflejock]

No problem good luck hopefully just being off center was causing one axis to hit it's limits and the center change fixes the other issue but let me know either way.

 

[davidhk129]

No problem good luck hopefully just being off center was causing one axis to hit it's limits and the center change fixes the other issue but let me know either way.

A very good chance that is the case.
Right now, I am printing an X-wing. The size is 150% of the original stl file, horizontally oriented.
So far there is not distortion on the supports.
However, I never printed an X-wing or any space ships less than 200%.
So, after this one is done, I might print one 250% and vertically oriented. Let's see if the model will stand straight throughout the printing process.

 

[davidhk129]

I spoke too soon.
2 words...…. Total Failure !!!

 

[wafflejock]

Pics? Hearing any weird noises (outside the usual when printing?)

 

[wafflejock]

Working on printing stand I just made for my quad too still about an hour to go though maybe fall asleep before then.

 

[davidhk129]

Pics? Hearing any weird noises (outside the usual when printing?)

I threw them out in disgust.
Unusual noise...…... Once in a while I would hear a click as if the nozzle scratched across some of the supports as it moved sideways. I can't prove that. It just sounds that way.
I did check the bed leveling (hell, I should be pretty good on that by now). Nozzle is in proper distance from the bed.
The support tilting is not as pronounced as before, but it still tilts and that's the end of the printing.

 

[davidhk129]

That reminds me. I did watched one of those u-tubes, and it showed how to change a setting in Cura so that the hot end will avoid hitting a support as it moves along.
But I don't have it on file.

 

[wafflejock]

Yah there is a z hop or z lift setting typically you can turn on where it will move up on the z between different x/y sections and avoid crashing might need to adjust your flow down a bit though too flow is how much filament extrudes in a given moment might be a bit too high as is and more plastic getting deposited than the slicer expects, hard to say though like I said new issue to me on that one.

 

[davidhk129]

Think I've found it. Z hop when retracted.
The box is unchecked.
Do I check that box ?

 

[davidhk129]

I think I have found the cause of the "supports tilting sideways" issue.
The problem is.…...
When I first got my new Creality Ender 3, I tried to add it to my Cura.
However, at that time, when I hit Add > Other > Ender 3 was not on the list. CR-10 was.
So I chose that.
Apparently that causes the problem when printing a STL file which requires heavy "supports", i.e. Star Wars X-wing fighter.
Today, after poking around my Cura (3.4.1, 4.1 and 4.3), I found the Ender 3 on the Add a printer list.
I chose it > delete and re-do the gcode files I have > open X-wing gcode file to my printer > so far, it is printing well, without distortion of the supports.
This one is 300% of the original stl file. Will take quite sometime printing.
Keeping my fingers crossed...……………..