Over the past 18 months, I have created over 80 videos about 3d printing. These range from printer reviews to slicer tutorials. From an introduction to Computer-Aided Design (CAD) to the design of clips to use with pocket squares so they can be used as masks. I am delighted with how well these videos have been received generation almost 12,000 subscribers as of May 2020 and thousands of comments.
So here is my challenge. With thousands of comments and viewers also sending me emails I can no longer respond personally to every comment. This is both good and bad. I believe my channel grew because of my engagement with my viewers and I want to continue that engagement. However, I have a finite amount of time and sometimes my viewers need quick answers to 3d printing questions.
I created this forum so you can help me, create a community, and answer questions for your fellow 3d printers. I am not going away and will be very present in this forum. In fact, I will be asking people with specific questions on the DrVax YouTube videos to look here for answers.
With your recent video regarding the way to print PETG I added a comment in there regarding some tips that I perform in addition to your video tips prior to setting up a print, be it PETG or PLA / PLA+
First thing I do is set the tension of the gears against the filament by cranking up the heat to max filament recommendations and start extruding until I have a smooth flow with least amount of tension so it doesnt grind the filament on retractions and doesnt slip extruding fast,
I then print a large X on the bed and find the Z-Offset first (too close get artefacts on surface, too far away and get the X string apart) ,
I then do a spike tower retraction test and dial retraction in,
I finish off with a heat tower and bridging test and select the best looking bridge and hangover temperature, then I write down those settings on the side of the filament spool.
This is not a hard and fast set that I use for everything, as an example when I print with TPU or NYLON what I will do in most cases is skip the retraction test as those filaments are not about making large bridges where you need fans cooling and retraction where those functions can be detrimental to your finished product, either causing layer separation or curling.
Drone_Pilot thanks for your post. I hope to create an active community here for makers, both people with 3d printers and folks interesting in all types of technology-based creative activities.
Hello, I am still having many problems with my printing of on my 3D printer and having the correct settings for the slicer cura and the printer as well. need help on the full correct settings for the Monoprice MP10 Mini 3D Printer. I am not sure if it is the program, cura or the machine that is set up incorrectly, or the slicer settings, I can not get any kind of clean print and very confuse about the start routine and the end routine after it gets done. Is the machine surpose to cool down and the heating stop, or is the head surpose to go up and away from the print. I also hook up the printer straight to the computer and when I went to print it did the first couple of lines of the gocode and then gave a message that the print was done I am having problems understanding what I am doing wrong and what CAD software can I play around with to design different shapes like a stake with a point and things for my garden that would be good help help. I love the idea of what I could do one day but I really need help in printing simple PLA 1.75 right now and will go onto other things later.
@shocky47. I recommend you post your questions in the “3d Printing / Slicers / Setup / Problems” section instead of here to gain more interaction with the community. Let me see if I can get you started.
I recommend you start with the basics. I have a playlist called “3d Printing Demystified”. Here is a link to this playlist:
I also recommend that you avoid printing directly from your computer. Other programs running on your computer and the drivers you have installed will impact your printing. Instead, save the GCODE to an SDCard or USB Key depending on your printer and print from the front panel.
If you are using Cura the default settings will be fine for your first printers. If you find Cura intimidating you can try using MatterControl on even the Astroprint website.
Here is a link to a video about Astroprint:
Here is a link to a video about MatterControl:
Watch more videos, then keep at it. It will be worth your time and once you get it a lot of fun.
@irvshapiro1 Sorry if this is the incorrect place, but you might want to do a video the Kiri web-based browser. It looks like it might be a good slicer for a beginner. And, it does not store your information.
