quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi

deckingman

@fcwilt But if you calibrate the extruder on it's own, then you take away any variables that having a hot end connected might introduce. If you then find that you get under extrusion with the hot end connected, then the difference is caused by something to do with the hot end, not the extruder. Changing what is a known and good calibration of the extruder on it's own, to compensate for errors introduced by the hot end, is simply using two "wrongs" to make one "right". We have a number of tools to make that compensation for hot end vagaries as I explained - extrusion multiplier, non linear extrusion, etc.

.......and yes, IMO "all those sites" probably are wrong - that wouldn't be anything new as far as internet based "information" is concerned.

A Former User

my take on it.

what is the purpose of an extruder and hot end?

To push a controlled amount of molten plastic at a specific speed so that that controlled amount can be deposited in an exact location.

so to me the end result (the calibrated amount of molten plastic) is more important.

in my case i build each unit to carry out a specific task e.g a unit to print nothing but PETG etc etc so I have always calibrated in the method David describes above, I.E. heating to operating temp and pushing filament through it the slowest speed possible, that method has never failed me.

but that's the thing about opinions everyone has one and everyone thinks their's is correct when in reality there is more than one way to do things and each of us just have to accept and respect that. Now facts, well that is a completely different discussion.

fcwilt

@deckingman

Perhaps I am not being clear.

I am not adjusting the steps/mm to achieve a specific result. I am testing the performance of the complete extruder system at various speeds, temperatures and materials to determine exactly how it is behaving under real world conditions.

The behavior of the extruder only is of no interest since you cannot print very well without a hotend.

Frederick

WilcoE

Guys,

Thanks all for the answers and other information.
My latest print with extruder steps on 415, jerk settings lower and y and z steps to 80

Result is almost the same. Not much diffent

Changed now the thermistor settings and also did a temp calibration.
Now printing a new train, will post picture within 2 hours

A Former User

@fcwilt said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

@deckingman

Perhaps I am not being clear.

I am not adjusting the steps/mm to achieve a specific result. I am testing the performance of the complete extruder system at various speeds, temperatures and materials to determine exactly how it is behaving under real world conditions.

The behavior of the extruder only is of no interest since you cannot print very well without a hotend.

Frederick

I agree with this, why you might ask. Symbiosis is why because one without the other means the system won't carry out the intended purpose of the two separate parts. Akin to entering a one legged man into an ass kicking contest.

deckingman

One last go at this.

Let us suppose that you've just built a machine and you start to commission it. And let us suppose that you won't bother to set the steps per mm for extruder on it's own - you'll just wait and do everything as one entire assembly. When you go to set the steps per mm, you find that you need to use say 20% more than the manufacturer states for that extruder. Or maybe you don't have any data so you just accept whatever value you get with the hot end fitted. Then later you find that you have yours set much higher than anyone else using the same set up. Do you question the result or do you just say "that's what it needs so that's what I'll use"? (even though the prints turn out like crap).

Or maybe you have the sense to realise that if you need a much higher value than anyone else, then there might be something wrong. So where do you start to look? A logical thing to do would be to check the extruder on it's own to see if the fault lies in the hot end or the extruder. Low and behold, it's much better. Why is that you may wonder? On further investigation you find there is a small piece of swarf or some other debris in the nozzle. That's the reason why you had to set the steps per mm so high - because that partial blockage was making the extruder slip.

Had you set the steps per mm for the extruder alone in the first place, you would have immediately known that there was a problem with the hot end as soon as you started to print something. As it is, you've started off by applying an inaccurate value to the extruder to compensate for a fault in the hot end.

It matters not to me how others do what they do. But in terms of advising others - well I've stated the reasons why I think one method is better than another - let the OP decide which method he thinks is preferable.

WilcoE

Here is the latest print.

fcwilt

@deckingman

Really?

Setting the steps/mm to the correct value according to the specific hardware is a given and I assumed you knew that I would do that.

Even if you don't have the manufacture specified setting it is easy to determine what it should be.

Frederick

bartolomeus

@WilcoE To me it looks like an improvement. Hard to tell, beacause the other pic is very small.

Other thing I noticed, is your motor currents a pretty low. I think tou can safely try 800-1000ma. The motors are rated for 1.5a, so 1a should still be on the safe side.

How is the printer mechanically:

belts tight?
Z-axis running smoothly up and down?

WilcoE

@bartolomeus said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

@WilcoE To me it looks like an improvement. Hard to tell, beacause the other pic is very small.

Other thing I noticed, is your motor currents a pretty low. I think tou can safely try 800-1000ma. The motors are rated for 1.5a, so 1a should still be on the safe side.

How is the printer mechanically:

belts tight?

Z-axis running smoothly up and down?

Belts are tight maybe to tight? got also here the other printer with the SKR and the belts from that machine looks not so tight.

z-axis running smooth, it's easy to get it up and down by hand

Going to change motor currents to 800ma

bartolomeus

@WilcoE Also check if the mount that holds the leadscrew nut is square.

A Former User

@deckingman said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

It matters not to me how others do what they do. But in terms of advising others - well I've stated the reasons why I think one method is better than another - let the OP decide which method he thinks is preferable.

That's only piece of sense you have typed in the whole thread, everything else is as I have stated is an "opinion"

I would never be so arrogant as to state that one person's opinion is better than anyone else's, it is all about perspective and what works.

And I would never be so arrogant as to state that anyone providing someone assistance based on THEIR real world experience should be considered wrong, just because someone else thinks so based on their opinion.

deckingman

@CaLviNx I respect your opinion of my opinion, even thought it differs from my opinion of my opinion. Whilst I always look forward to, and enjoy out little tete-a-tetes, I fear I must decline any further response as this is neither the time nor the place to do so.

dc42

@WilcoE said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

Here is the latest print.

How does that compare with the one produced by the other printer? Are they both printed using the same slicer and slicer settings? Do both printers have exactly the same part cooling?

WilcoE

@dc42 said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

How does that compare with the one produced by the other printer? Are they both printed using the same slicer and slicer settings? Do both printers have exactly the same part cooling?

Yes, same slicer and also same gcode.
Both printers have exaclty the same part cooling

All printers are stock but, my printer is:
Ender 3
Duet Wifi
BLTouch
BMG Clone Extruder

And the printer of my friend is:
Ender 3 Pro
SKR 1.3 Board
BLTouch

i realigned my z axis and I loosened my Y belt and fixed again.
now printing with my Ender 3 printer and the same PLA filement color blue.

Also saw that my M566 jerk settings where not in my config anymore. So changed it back to: M566 X480 Y480 Z100 E30000

bartolomeus

@WilcoE said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

@dc42 said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

How does that compare with the one produced by the other printer? Are they both printed using the same slicer and slicer settings? Do both printers have exactly the same part cooling?

Yes, same slicer and also same gcode.
Both printers have exaclty the same part cooling

All printers are stock but, my printer is:
Ender 3
Duet Wifi
BLTouch
BMG Clone Extruder

And the printer of my friend is:
Ender 3 Pro
SKR 1.3 Board
BLTouch

i realigned my z axis and I loosened my Y belt and fixed again.
now printing with my Ender 3 printer and the same PLA filement color blue.

Also saw that my M566 jerk settings where not in my config anymore. So changed it back to: M566 X480 Y480 Z100 E30000

E30000?

WilcoE

@bartolomeus said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

E30000?

Yes, that was also in my first config post.
Should i change that also to 480?

bartolomeus

@WilcoE said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

@bartolomeus said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

E30000?

Yes, that was also in my first config post.
Should i change that also to 480?

Not 480, but 30000 is too high. Maybe start with 600 or so for the bmg clone. Actually I don't know the recommend jerk setting for BMG but 30000 is too high.

WilcoE

@bartolomeus said in quality issues with Ender 3 and Duet Wifi:

Not 480, but 30000 is too high. Maybe start with 600 or so for the bmg clone. Actually I don't know the recommend jerk setting for BMG but 30000 is too high.

Ok, see on the forum some topics and i will try E2000
Again thanks for your help!

WilcoE

Well... the print is much better.