3D Printer = Frustration

When they work they're great. When they don't work then it's almost complete frustration because of all the things it could be.

My latest upgraded printer (The 3D Printer) is working just fine except for the fact it won't keep a constant temperature at the nozzle. This could be one of several things even though the actual heating process is simple.

The heating cartridge could be loose or bad.
The heating cartridge wires could be loose or bad.
The thermisor (temperature sensor) could be loose or bad.
The thermistor wires could be loose or bad.
Something else could be wrong.

Luckily the plastic I prefer is very forgiving. I could still get a pair of large floor tiles done. But then I put it through a torture test print (Note 1) and still got the temperature issues.

First round of testing!

Tighten the screws. Yup. Just tighten them. But not too much on the thermistor or you can crush it.

First round results? Temperature fluctuations when I move the wires.

Second round of testing!

Heat it up and tighten the screws some more.

Second round results? Temperature fluctuations when I move the wires.

Verdict?

I looked at how I bundled the cables and the connector for the thermistor isn't really well secured. So it's moving when the print head moves. That moves the thermistor wires. That's not good.

Wrapping the cables again so that wire and connector were firmly held got the temperature rock solid stable. I made a post with screen shots of the temperature differences for others to see if they're having problems.

Welcome to the glamorous world of 3D printing.

Note 1 - A 'torture test' print file is one that is meant to test the limits of what a printer can do. It tries to do overhangs, bridges, small details, specifically measured parts, etc. It's a test of how well you've dialed in your machine. With this one I can't get an unsupported print to go more than 60 degrees without the bottom layer sagging. That's actually pretty good since 45 degrees is the recognized standard for when things start to need support.