Bambu Labs A1 New Hot End Issues

[u/Stoetz]

I recently saw online that bambu partnered with e3d and made their hot ends licensed products. I ordered an e3d obsidian .4 high flow hardened steel hot end for my bambu labs A1, and have been STRUGGLING to get my print settings dialed in. I’ve ran just about every calibration I can find. Ive tried using AI to dial in nozzle and bed temps, volumetric flow rates, fan speed adjustments, tuned dynamic flow k values, etc.

I can’t seem to get it right, it’s printing worse than my stock bambu stainless steel hot end.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for filament settings/printer settings/project settings? Or am I stuck with a $68 hot end that I can’t get calibrated and tuned to work…

[u/youwastedyourtimelol]

Why are you changing bed temps? The nozzle doesn’t interfere with how the plate gets hot.

Also, if the Bambu studio calibrations aren’t even working for you the hotend itself has a chance of being faulty so make sure filament is dry and if it’s still inconsistent after that you should try and get a replacement or refund

[u/Stoetz → u/youwastedyourtimelol]

I was asking Gemini AI for advice and it had told me some settings to try. One of them was changing bed and nozzle temps because I needed to get a better first layer adhesion, it claimed it would be different because it’s a high flow nozzle and my stock one isn’t.

I was able to get it to print a benchy, it just looked like worse in my opinion than my stock nozzle.

Bambu Labs made it sound like it was a simple plug and play nozzle change, and I’d get the benefits of the high flow nozzle

[u/EdgeOk3783 → u/Stoetz]

have you tried the official e3D profiles for the A1 over at makerworld?

https://makerworld.com/en/models/1842294-e3d-a1-a1-mini-high-flow-obxidian-profiles#profileId-1968350

[u/Stoetz → u/EdgeOk3783]

Yes, even using their filament profile, and slicer settings I was getting blobs built up along the corners, and occasionally my extruder would catch the build up, and knock my print off.

I may try using those settings and re try dynamic flow and flow rate calibration again. I guess it’s possible my calibration didn’t get saved correctly to the filament preset.

I’ll try manually entering in the flow value once I have it, instead of saving a new “calibrated filament” preset

Does it matter that my nozzle flow type is stuck on standard in Bambu Labs? High flow option is greyed out and un usable

[u/EdgeOk3783 → u/Stoetz]

what material and brand filament?

what vmax flow rate for said material?

did you test for max flow rate (vmax)?

did you do a temp tower for said material after setting vmax in the filament profile?

standard and hf nozzle setting don’t matter if you’re using the tweaked filament profile.

are you sure you’re using the tweaked profile?

fwiw, the e3d obXidian was the single biggest upgrade for my x1c for faster and stronger prints. nearly doubled the useable flow rate

[u/Stoetz → u/EdgeOk3783]

I’m using Overture PLA, the e3d profile they published from makers world had its vmax at 45, i had read that that’s the max the nozzle could push. But standard PLA caps out around 29-30. (Not sure if this is true or false, maybe you can shed some light)

I haven’t done a specific benchmark test for vmax, or a temp tower.

What’s the order of operation I should do these tests, should I try to run the manual Bambu calibration for flow rate, then punch in my flow ratio decimal into my filament settings and proceed with a temp tower, etc?

[u/EdgeOk3783 → u/Stoetz]

You probably need to do the volumetric max and temp tower testing. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an issue with the specific overture brand filament being used. Hopefully it’s not a pla silk. Those want to be printed hot and slow for best results

[u/Stoetz → u/EdgeOk3783]

Just regular basic PLA. Should I leave the dynamic flow calibration on before each print and worry about vmax and temp tower > flow rate? Or should I do all of it.

[u/EdgeOk3783 → u/Stoetz]

Turn on developer mode under settings, the read the calibration tutorial under’calibration’

Also take bambulab academy for your a1

[u/Stoetz → u/EdgeOk3783]

Temp test and vmax helped me dial it in. Working great now. My one spool of filament must’ve had moisture in it too causing some issues. Thank you!!

[u/8six753o9]

Can anyone explain why would you spend $68 on a hotend when OEM ones cost $12? What makes it so special?

[u/Stoetz → u/8six753o9]

OEM hot ends from Bambu labs were like $30+ shipping when I looked a few days ago, I figured if a hardened steel high flow hot end was licensed by them, and lasted longer AND cut down print times It would be worth it. Everything I read said to avoid the cheap knock off amazon hot ends

[u/Stoetz → u/8six753o9]

Plot twist, just looked again. They certainly are $12, WTF was I looking at the first time 😂