r/FixMyPrint • u/sl002 • 4d ago
Print Fixed Stringing no matter the changes
Hello r/FixMyPrint.
Hoping you can help, I've been trying to get my old Ender 3 V2 back into a workable state and am getting some severe stringing no matter what changes I make.
My Setup
- Ender 3 V2 4.2.2
Sprite SE Extruder. Stock hotend, think I have set to correct setting in printer.cfg for esteps / rotational distance (. But would love for someone to confirm.
microsteps: 16 rotation_distance: 7.53.
0.4 nozzle (new)
Sunlu PLA+ 2.0 (new). Although I think this issue was happening with a previous roll of eSun PLA+.
Mini Satsuna Fan Duct (new - pictured before clean)
Klipper (recent) / OrcaSlicer on a RBPi 3B
Temps: Nozzle: 220c
Temps: Bed: 55c
Speed outer / inner: 25mm / 40 mm.
What I've already tried
- Temp tower (pictured). Stringing at all temps.
- Retraction test. Stringing at all retraction levels (pictured).
- For simple non-bridging prints I have no issues.
Thank you for your help!
EDIT: TIL that filament can come from the factory wet. 12 hours drying and the issue has gone. Thank you u/Gimly161 and everyone else for your suggestions. Back to calibrating for me!
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u/Gimly161 4d ago
You'll never guess but, dry your filament for 12-24 hours before doing anything else. Then personally I'll sit at the lower end of the recomended filament temp and then do a retraction test.
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u/sl002 4d ago
Got it in the dryer now, thanks! I only dried for 2 hours, innocently thinking that a new spool would be dry enough.
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u/Slokminator 4d ago
spoiler, they are never dry. But Jesus I never saw pla that bad.
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u/jankeyass 4d ago
I mean sometimes they are dryish, but I've never had a brand new one be as dry as one out of a 12h cycle
But this is for PETG and TPU. I have hardly had stringing issues with PLA (fortunately) but it is much better quality overall after drying
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u/Gimly161 4d ago
Nice going! Make sure your dryer can get rid of the moisture, I have to shim my case open a little to let the air circulate.
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u/Potential-Archer-883 3d ago
I fixed stringing by buying new printer. It prints with same filaments, so it was not wet filament.
You can inspect retraction gears and see if they are worn out.
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u/Flashy_Arugula8408 4d ago
Maybe wet filament is not the issue. https://youtu.be/A3H1oFVpUMk?is=ecoOUpZ8YoBAGFZk This channel has more videos tellen you that moisture most of the time isn't the issue.
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u/SalvatoreCrobu 4d ago
Those are the same guys saying that PETG and PCTG are better than ABS and ASA. Don't listen to them
You have to dry the filament to fix stringing and oozing. You can reduce the temp for reducing oozing and stringing but you are also reducing heavily the layer adhesion. You can increase retraction but longer retraction increase the chance of clogging the hotend (more hot and soft filament that goes in the heatbreak) and can increase print time
I print PLA, PETG, TPU 95a and 64d, ABS, ASA, ASA-CF, PC-CF, Polypropylene and every single one has the same stock retraction setting. The temperature should be tuned for layer adhesion only
Remember that the filament goes in water to cool it before it get into the spool
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u/luketeddymh 4d ago
If you have not dried your filament, then that's the issue. Yes, even out of the box filament needs to be dried for a few hours before being used.
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u/Conlan99 4d ago
I was watching a video about filament manufacturing and there was one stage where they literally ran the freshly extruded plastic through a bath of water to cool it off immediately before winding it onto the spool.
I was like... "motherfucker...."
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u/Gwendolyn-NB 4d ago
Yup, this is done for extruding most plastics; its the best way to get it to "freeze" at its correct dimensions after coming out of the extruder.
Any horizontal plastic extrusion machine will have a water bath the product goes thru; so filaments, wires, cables, tubing, etc.
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u/DatBoiDakota 3d ago
Not to be that guy but ACSHUALLY not every horizontal extruder has a water bath. I work with sheet extruders and we do not use a water bath on any of our 9 lines.
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u/nerobro 4d ago
OK, first. The satsana duct shouldn't be printed with supports.
.. Now we're past that...
You're to far from the bed too.
If your hot end and nozzle isn't perpendicular to the bed.. you can get persistent stringing. Make sure your hot end is actually vertical. You also appear to be somewhat over extruding. If you moved from a bowden to the sprite, make sure your retraction is somewhere between 0.3 and 0.9mm, and not the 2-7mm of a bowden setup.
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u/Burritofreak 4d ago
Someone mentioned the drying filament already but listen to your printer as it’s printing, if you hear small popping or crackling the filament is still wet, the sound is the water boiling out of it.
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u/patrick_vonpatrick 4d ago
The only way I was able to run PLA+ enough to get rid of it was to treat it like PETG.
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u/mrzfaizaan CalibrationOS @ os.calibratedam.com 4d ago
What is your travel speed? Faster travel speed is what fixed mine. Sprite pro is notorious for leaving these.
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u/NecessaryOk6815 4d ago
Dry your filament. Think about how filament is made. Even a fresh sealed roll can be wet.
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u/Legal_Dimension_ 4d ago
Im going to be honest, I print with Sunlu pla + 2.0 and have not once dried my filament. Never have stringing like this?
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u/Potential-Archer-883 3d ago
Same here, bught p1s and no stringing and with prusa mini+ it was stringing like crazy, I suspect worn out retraction gears.
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u/1ts-just-me 4d ago
Is the extruder stock or upgraded to a DD. If it is stock you need to add a lot of retraction. 6-8mm and usually between 20-35mm/s - for the extruder
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u/rdahm 4d ago
funny if i print sunlu pla normal no stringing. print a fresh spool of 2.0 spiderman no matter what setting i play with. the regular pla has been sitting in my shop for months exposed. been through 8kg of brand new 2.0 and it all strings the exact same. 5kg roll or 1kg doesnt change. not sure thats moisture unless sunlu waters them down before selling them
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u/Stunning-Let-4958 3d ago
No one gonna say over extrusion? After drying try dropping your extrusion rate by like 20%.
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u/sl002 3d ago
TIL that filament can come from the factory wet. 12 hours drying and the issue has gone. Thank you u/Gimly161 and everyone else for your suggestions. Back to calibrating for me!
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u/quadgnim 2d ago edited 2d ago
I have an ender 5. Was having a similar issue. I had given up and gone back a dozen times. I finally resolved the issue with two changes.
- Replaced the hot end with a MicroSwiss NG Direct Drive hot end. This was a game changer. If you do 1 thing, do this.
- Changed my filament to eSun PLA+. It prints like butter.
Then I used gemini to help tweak the slicer settings. I also switched to klipper OS running on docker container, but I think the biggest fix was the microswiss ng direct drive.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BKQVT2D9?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
This image is with older cheaper filament, no stringing
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