Best Way to Get Rid of Stringing on 3D Prints Using Cura + Get Smooth Top Layer + Block Supports

[@miguelsegunda9630]

Thanks. I'm 72 yrs old and you are the 1st. guy that made sense to me.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

I must say this is one of the best comments I have ever gotten. I’m so glad this helped you. Thank you so much. Happy Printing.

[@miguelsegunda9630]

What pla do you use for the best results? I print mostly buildings 1/35 scale.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

@@miguelsegunda9630 my favorite pla is the brand Inland. It’s from MicroCenter. It’s their store brand only $16-17 a spool.

[@dragonfireink139]

Thank you for this! My husband just bought a 3d printer that I can't wait to check out. But, before wasting a bunch a filament I really wanted to learn the basics and familiarize myself with what on earth I'm supposed to do or watch out for. These videos have helped a ton.

[@paulbarry5730]

I never knew that you could do that. I've just found your channel and your tutorials have just made my day. I've watched all three how to videos and my prints have just gone from good to awesome. I can't thank you enough.

[@drvish]

Probably one of the best tutorials for fine tuning settings! I'm definitely going to be playing with these and from Parts 1 and 2. Thank you very much!

[@ashvanes484]

Sigh I have been printing for 4 months, frequently, and I had no idea about the support blocker. I have a whole bunch of extensions, custom supports etc. I will be using this a lot now. thank you.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Glad I could help. Support blocker is an amazing tool.

[@IvinNayaYoesel]

I just got into 3D printing a month o two ago and I can't believe I had not checked your channel describe previously having subbed to it. I had been using creality slicer (I think cura and creality slice are probably from the same devs or partners - idk but I have em both and I mostly stated using Cura since I learnt it fom you videos. This makes my journey so much fun. Thanks a lot!! I love you contents.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

That’s great glad my stuff is helping you. This video is actually my old Cura series be sure to check out my new one on Cura 5.

[@IvinNayaYoesel]

@@ItsMeaDMaDe I am gradually going through them :) Thanks a lot again, keep em coming sir

[@bagginsbilbrough]

Thank you - a very good series for a beginner. Cheers Mate.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

That’s great I’m happy I could help you.

[@ChinaAl]

There's a difference in retraction between bowden and direct drive. For me DD was 1/1.5 and bowden is 8. Great videos

[@mattmartin1820]

Hey Man thank you for the videos!.. First Printer I have owned and have had crappy prints. After your vids now I am getting the hang of it. Take care and thank you

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

That’s fantastic glad I could help!

[@shawnispoppin]

didnt know about this, thank you, this is huge help/tool discovery

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Glad to help. I just did an in-depth Cura series where I go over all the settings and test to preform if you have any issues

[@Skidly_Finley5879]

brother thanks for the video. this should help large. and the string test. good call. i have all types of filaments from amazon and I notice big differences

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Oh yeah I have tested all the brands I use and I do this for each new brand I get. It’s very helpful to know.

[@problemaadic5229]

excellent series

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Thanks so much.

[@itsjakefox]

This series was so helpful. Thank you.

[@michiganmudmilk6556]

Hello, I didn't see you touch on support sizing. Would like to hear your thoughts on support height/width, Speed etc. Was also curious about ironing as well. Thanks

[@tricycleboi]

This is just what i needed. Thank you so much!

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

You're so welcome!

[@ty88]

this series is so good

[@philipanderson9434]

Great videos.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Thanks. Be sure to subscribe I’m currently working on an updated series with Cura 5

[@Emcee72]

"3 top layers, 4 top layers, and 12 top layers. No I'm kidding. 5 top layers." You got me lol

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

😂🤣😂 yeah. Seeing if people are paying attention.

[@yagoubalabbad1249]

thanx man that soo useful my distance 4mm speed 50ms temp 195 and its perfect !!!!

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Awesome glad it helped you!

[@TheAndzhik]

Question about inner/outer walls print order. Around 6:31 you show the layer printing process where the first pillar gets the entire layer including the inner and outer walls and then the nozzle travels to the second pillar. My cura (version 5.4) prints the inner walls of the first pillar and then travels to the second pillar to print the inner walls. Then the nozzle goes back to pillar 1 and prints outer walls and then pillar 2 outer walls. This creates more travel (+print time) and therefore potential for more stringing. I can wall order setting to print outer walls first, but it doesn't change the fact that all outer walls are printed first and then all inner causing the same problem. How did you configure cura to print "closed parts of layers" (inner + outer) entirely before switching to the next element?

[@JamesEzell]

You seriously deserve far more subs. I am learning more in your videos then other channels 200k + subs.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Wow thanks! Maybe one day if more people can find me. That would be crazy to get 200k subs. 😅

[@DroneSkinz]

Thanks for this valuable information. You're awesome my friend. Keep these gems 💎 coming....please.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

You got it!

[@ThatGuy-mp9og]

Yes definitely change 1 thing at a time. At least for similar things to resolve 1 issue like stringing. Dont change distance and speed at 1 time. But lets say you have stringing and supports that fuse to the part. I would change both the top distance and retraction to test both at once as they very very rarely make a difference to each other

[@larryfroot]

Just to add, an all metal hotend with a retraction above 2mm is a recipe for clogs, especially with PLA. PLA has little lubricant qualities, so away from a bowden tube it has a tendency to stick. Any retraction above 2mm risks molten PLA backing up into the heat break and solidify. It may be unlikely that anyone who has upgraded will be watching an introductory video, but all metal hotends and direct drives as default are becoming more common. Just a friendly note to an excellent video. It might help someone.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Thank you for the great explanation. I’m currently updating this series cause there are things that need corrected and it’s Cura 5 not for there are things I train that don’t exists anymore.

[@larryfroot]

@@ItsMeaDMaDe It's such a rapidly growing and developing field - things that were once beyond the scope of hobbyists are now becoming A Thing. Looking at you, Creality Klipper Board Thingy. Even thinking about keeping up can make me feel a) dizzy and b) financially ruined. And yes, Cura 5 caught me out a couple of times. In the end I grabbed a couple of updated profiles from Chep, and then updated them with your Support Settings course. It was good to go through it all again, actually. Helps the knowledge stick. Thanks again for excellent content, really appreciated.

[@ehltechwiz1775]

Thanks for such good explanation and visuals for the different settings. I'm very new to all of this but a quick learner and try to do lots of learning on my own. One thing I would like to know as far as settings is which settings would be good to save on filament when you don't need a very detailed print or strong for that matter? Thanks again!

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

I'm glad i was able to help. There is a lot to learn in this hobby for sure. When it comes to saving filament you can use less of an infill and bigger layer height like a .2mm. Hope that helps.

[@ehltechwiz1775]

@@ItsMeaDMaDe Thanks for the reply. I tried a print with your settings on this series and the print came out awesome. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

That’s awesome. I’m glad it worked out for you. Best of luck in all your future Prints.

[@justind8521]

Great vid. The only suggestion I have would be go into some of the other stuff you can do with support blockers. For instance, instead of blocking supports in those areas, you could used them to change the infill there. Handy if you want one spot in the model to have extra strength. There a bunch of other options as well. They're a handy feature.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Thanks!! Yeah I was thinking about on a video just talking about everything with support blocker. Such a great tool! So you just confirmed that I should. Thanks for the input. I truly appreciate the feedback!

[@robmcdonald6808]

Definitely good info to know I was on the fence about getting a heat gun bu i think you convinced me what a handy tool it can be Looking forward to the net

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Glad it was good info for you! Yeah heat gun and soldering irons are my go-to tools for fdm clean up and all around fixing.

[@DialetoNerd]

Another great tutorial!!!!

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Thanks so much!!

[@zsakosbimbo4383]

You are amazing!!!! You are the best one !!!THX 🙂

[@davidkerr2617]

Great video I'm new to 3d printer and your video have helped me on what settings do hopeing to get my printer to do good prints eventually and would like to see more 👍

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Great. Glad I could help. I’ll most likely be making more of these in the future.

[@Bobba_fett]

If I am using a 8mm retraction should I be considering z hopping? I've seen a bunch about it but still dont get it. You seem to explain stuff well for my brain. k thx.

[@filamentfandoms822]

As always, awesome video dude! Great tips here. Keep up the great work!

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Glad you enjoyed it. I’ll do my best to keep up the expectations! Thanks again!

[@TheButchersbLock]

Great tip with the supports, such simple thing but it would make removal of supports heaps easier. Great video as always mate 👍🇦🇺😊

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Awesome I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment!!

[@Deimos1609]

Did you change retraction distance to 10?

[@RogerBlokker]

Hi, thanks for the awesome video. Where can I find the cool han solo model? I'd love to print that. :)

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

I just added the link in the description for you. It’s from Chibi STL & 3DXM he runs two patreons where you get his Chibi files each month or you can buy them individually. He has some great models I have printed and painted a lot of them. I actually ended up print that file and doing another video painting it you can see it here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYjIhYaegdKVfcU

[@chrisl7228]

Your top layer count will change with your layer height as well, I like to pay attention to the thickness not the number or layers. I like to keep it at .8mm or greater if I need a stronger part

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Yeah I could see that. So many different ways to go about it.

[@EDC3DP]

Do you have a video on supports?

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Yes check out my Cura playlist on my channel I have a series dedicated to supports.

[@housestuff7966]

Thank you

[@leongerritdeleeuw]

Hi Any recommendations settings wise when printing 4 legged creatures standing on the legs, sometimes one leg will break off during the print.

[@DennisCrawfordJr]

is the link for the retraction tower no longer available?

[@ty88]

i doubt he ever linked it in the first place

[@jasonhardy392]

I have a question, new to the hobby. I'm having trouble with the bottom of a model, like on a face. The bottom of the jar, ears, or anything that hangs. The filament does not stick, it sort of separates or doesn't print at all. I appreciate any feedback thanks

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

That sounds like an adhesion issue. I made a video explaining how to get better adhesion. You can see it here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3PJiJungLpmn9U

[@Clay20208TV]

Helpful vid thx

[@CharlieLXXIV]

cant find the link for the model for stringing test

[@MikeRiemersma]

This may be an obvious question to some but are some brands of pla just more apt to have stringing? Ive gone through the video with you and my retract towers have stringing at 10mm still. is there something I missed? lowered nozzle temp to 190 from 210 by increments of 5 at a time and there is always some fine strings. increased retract speed. added z-hop. yours just worked but mine not so much.

[@brianlearntech]

I get thick strings that are at either end of each post but not extended across the posts. They are thick and bonded which will require sanding to get them off (much more than angel hair). What do I do? I have the Anycubic Vyper, if that matters.

[@outlawfpv3792]

Another great video.....support blocker tip ftw. happy wife...happy life.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Thanks! Yes indeed. Happy wife happy life 😂

[@iamsemjaza]

You're rotating with your mouse but I can only seem to get it to pan... Any tips?

[@brianmi40]

You can get clean top layers with Ironing, instead of 5 top layers. I get good results with 3. Most printers need Retraction turned off for TPU.

[@Houstnwehavuhoh]

Man, just bought an Ender 3 V2. Did Estep calibration, PID auto tune, flow tested, temperature tower - both PLA and PLA+ filaments I have (and even the tiny spool included), I get stringing all the way to 10mm. Slower or faster retraction, retract at layer change on/off, z hop on/off, combing, etc, I get stringing regardless. Very minute differences even between changing these settings. I simply cannot figure it out. It’s driving me insane. Should I be looking at nozzle? Ptfe tube? Extruder (seems fine)? I’m losing my mind

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Hrm.. seems odd. Have you changed between brands I have noticed that some brands string more than others. Possibly try printing at a bit of a lower temp too. Not to shamelessly plug my discord but it’s in the description of the video. Feel free to join and you can reach out to me there as well.

[@Houstnwehavuhoh]

@@ItsMeaDMaDe I appreciate your response, I’ll have to hop in!

[@PowerAirSimulations]

wow your videos are really helping me out. Being a prusa owner would you have any tutorial videos on prusa slicer? I tried applying what i saw from you cura tutorial on the prusa slicer but im not sure if certain names are different or if prusa slicer does not have the same things as cura. Im talking about your speed,infill tutorials.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Hi! Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately I don’t have a prusa. I really have no experience with the prusa slicer. All I know is they do the prusa slicer does have different names for settings in Cura. Sorry 😞 I don’t have videos to help you.

[@PowerAirSimulations]

@@ItsMeaDMaDe It’s all good your video still help me out can’t wait to see future videos

[@nicholasesposito2083]

Hey I am having a problem with my cura making lines of filament between models like stringing how could I change this ?

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

It sounds like you need to adjust your retraction. I would do a stringing test like I did in the video.

[@glenmccall4571]

need you build plate adhesion

[@timhicks1118]

Does the retraction speed play much of a factor? I just tried a 1-6 mm auto retraction tower and saw no differences at all.

[@septianariffirdaus1989]

Thank youuu

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

You're welcome!

[@josepineda3625]

Guys I really need help! I have an Anycubic vyper and I'm using PLA+ filament, which settings do you guys recommend me to avoid stringing?

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

I’ve never used a vyper but if you follow the steps in the video I show how to reduce stringing. Sometimes you can get a bad spool as well. It’s good to test with two different spools. If a spool gets moisture in it that can result it bad stringing.

[@nadim_873]

quick tip: play video at 2 times speed

[@שרוןמזרחי-ז1ג]

Hi Chris, My name is Sharon, I also work with CURA version 5 and I made a lot of changes in the settings and I'm not satisfied at all, and now I want to return all the settings to the initial state as it was at the beginning, and I don't know how to return the settings to a default state, I would be very happy if you could explain or upload a video on the subject please

[@KandiceKoon988]

Hi I just upgraded my Ender-3 s1 from a smooth pci sheet to a textured pei sheet. The pci sheet is 1.1 mm thickness the textured pei is .04mm thickness. PLA is all I use. Print speed is 50 Retraction distance is 1mm temp is 210 and Retraction speed is 45. I have virtually no stringing on the Retraction tower at 1 and 2. And the calibration cube is practically perfect. I printed a little frog for someone and it has strings on the first layer between the toes of the frog and thicker stringing between the body and the arms, like the armpit area of the frog. I did change one variable at a time and thats how I got the practically perfect Retraction tower and calibration cube. Help please! Thank you.

[@jaysoncummins]

what about, instead of support blocker, change support density to like 4%? I get good results from that

[@Zacharydobob]

In cura when I slice is it’s makes strings idk what to do

[@lsnaithe]

Amazing 3 part video, just started printing with curator and explained a lot. Any chance you could explain supports and how to use them please

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Yeah I’ve been working on a video just on supports. It will be coming soon. It’s a lot to cover the explain everything you need to know.

[@plasmaguy5]

Dude your awesome, thanks so much

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

😂 thanks!

[@SpwnDragn]

made the retraction changes, went from 6.5 all the way to 10, and even at 10, i get stringing/hairs?

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Could be your filament. I’m if filament gets moisture it gets really stringy.

[@nelsonkarrer6961]

My scale when I put it in cura come out super large what can I do to fix it

[@malikhunter6504]

I tried playing around with my retraction like you showed for stringing and got no good results.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

I would suggest using a different roll of filament to rule out the fact it might be a bad spool. If that doesn’t work make sure you print a temp tower to ensure you have your filament at the correct temp.

[@lsg1Entertainment]

When I enable retraction it makes a lot of noise and scares me😂 is there anything I could do that doesn't make my printer sound like it'll Fall apart?

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Hrm… that’s strange it shouldn’t make that much noise. Dunno what printer you have but it could be a sign of the stepper motor going out…

[@lsg1Entertainment]

@@ItsMeaDMaDe it sounds like someone has allergies and they can't breathe I don't know if you've ever seen hitch when he eats the fish

[@lsg1Entertainment]

@@ItsMeaDMaDe is there any way to know for sure and how do I fix that just get a new motor?

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Honestly it’s hard to tell. Personally if my printers make noises I keep running them until something breaks. But that’s just me.

[@lsg1Entertainment]

@@ItsMeaDMaDe oh yeah I would definitely do that

[@Sokilo-123]

Retraction to me caused clogged nozzle .I mean retraction at 10mm maybe is too much for some printers

[@Vistal11]

What version of cura is this?

[@ChinaAl]

What about the % of supports. In S3D I can set like only 10-% custom supports.

[@santohalim1355]

when i use more than 6mm retraction the print id good, but it "always" clog the print at around 30hour later (>10mm retraction mean sooner the clog happen). the guide Not mention about the clog the noozle cause of over retraction... retraction somehow connected to temperature, if its too high retraction useless. there a lot other to cover yet its not there

[@amt3dlabs875]

IMHO..Fail to mention that using a direct drive extruden the retractions should be between 1-2mm. Bowden Drive extruden retractions needs to be bigger. Cura 6.5mm retraction by default seems to be for Bowden drive. Direct drives high retraction can cause some blocked nozzles.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Thanks for the tip. I only have Bowden tube drive. Wasn’t aware.

[@topflight250]

This is a big deal. Direct drive should be no more than 2.5mm MAX in most cases.

[@ty88]

7:05 you never linked the file dude............

[@Boondala]

Happy wife, happy life 😝

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

😂😂😂 indeed my friend.

[@hamadalnaqbi]

👏🏻❤

[@aimewarichet9013]

J'aimerais des vidéos en français tout le monde ne connaît pas l’anglais

[@Matt2chee]

Don't think PPP in the middle of the night.

[@ItsMeaDMaDe]

Ha ha ha. 🤣😂🤣 I’ll try not to. Lol

[@jtcustomknives]

I just do all top layers lol

[@triggerhappy5855]

Great video.