3D Printing Basics: When things go wrong! (Ep9)

Thanks to Prusa Research and Prusament for supporting the series go.toms3d.org/prusa
What are the issues to look out for in your 3D prints? Let's find out!
Check out the E3D Volcano series e3d-online.com/products/volca...
Relevant guides (some of these are... old!)
Extruder calibration • 3D printing guides - C...
Nozzle cleaning • Basics: Cleaning out a...
Octoprint setup • Video
PID tuning • 3D printing guides - U...
Filament basics • Things you should know...
Bed leveling basics • Basics: 5 ways of gett...
Printer box • Starting 3D prints wit...
Jerk/acceleration/speed tuning • 3D printing guides - T...
00:00 When Things go wrong
01:06 What does a good print look like?
03:31 Extrusion Problems
03:48 Too little - too much Filament
05:20 Clogging
06:10 Blobs and Stringing
06:57 Temperature Problems
07:49 Bed Adhesion and Warping
09:27 More Temperature Issues: Curling, molten down Details, Gaps
10:02 Mechanical Issues
12:52 Overtuning
Read the article to this video here: toms3d.org/2020/07/07/3d-prin...
Product links are affiliate links - I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you)
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I use Epidemic Sound, sign up for a 30-day free trial here share.epidemicsound.com/MadeWi...
🎧 Check out the Meltzone Podcast (with CNC Kitchen)! / @themeltzone
👐 Enjoying the videos? Support my work on Patreon! / toms3dp

[@nilsappeldorn9146]

The part with you showing and explaining, that flaws in the FDM process are most often just hidden (either on purpose or by accident) is the most important one imho, because I feel most experts/brands/YT channels don't like or want to say it that frankly.

[@JoshuaJayG]

Well done. I have a kid next door asking about settings on his new printer, I've been pointing him to your videos (great timing), and Teaching Tech's videos.

[@gambler8899666]

Man you make some the best quality 3d printer videos on KZbin. Keep up the great work!

[@gabrielchen3903]

Man you are really revolutionizing 3D printing for those new into 3d printing. I remember that I was struggling wit 3d printing 2 years ago, and your videos alongside with Maker's Muse made it so much of a more enjoyable process for me.

[@marhar2]

You changed my 3D printing life a couple of videos ago! 1mm on first layer solved all the problems I had with bed adhesion. And 1mm on all layers work great for many of my models, and cut the print speed in half or more. Thanks Tom!!

[@DeputatKaktus]

Your videos have been such a great help on my 3D printing journey. Having jumped straight into the deep end with the notorious A8 (and the subsequent pretty-much-almost-from-scratch-rebuild called the AM8) your insights and tips have saved me in my hours of despair when nothing seemed to work and the machine was close to a spontaneous defenestration. I still keep coming back to them years later when I am stuck somewhere. Thank you for making these videos and putting on all this effort.

[@electronron1]

It's nice to see everything coming together in one place. When I got started I had to watch videos by people like yourself, Chuck, Joel and Angus.

[@Pesto-64]

Great stuff. I got my Prusa MK3S kit in April and after putting it together, I have been printing like crazy. Your videos (and the Prusa forum) have helped me understand a lot of the settings and troubleshoot. Thanks again and keep up the great work!!

[@Bajicoy]

There can never be enough of these print guides especially to just keep up with how quickly 3D printers change. I still remember the days threaded rods were acceptable for printer frames haa

[@turkoharley8011]

You rock dude!!!!! I made my first printer looking your videos. exactly one year ago. Now I go for the second. Thank you very much.

[@connorhaughton6027]

I really appreciated this series you made; it was what convinced me at the end of 2020 to buy my first printer (ender3 pro). I've had it running nearly 24/7 since; have done extensive upgrades. Early on I experienced intermittent underextrusion that took a while to diagnose; eventually I discovered the cracked idler arm on the extruder (that's a really outdated extruder design). I also had intermittent layer shifting issues which I ascribe to improperly tensioned belts or possibly excessive stepper driver current. Both were great learning experiences, if frustrating in the moment. I have been very interested in the voron project and appreciated yours&cnckitchen's reviews. I plan to build a voron 2.4 300^3 or 350^3, super hyped for parts to arrive on the slow boat. I will continue to follow your vids, and thank you for your commitment to and emphasis on open source in the printing community.

[@licensetodrive9930]

From the title I was envisioning pictures of when you get back to your over night multi-hour print and discovering it failed spectacularly, either it printed a birds nest since it stopped adhering to the print (like when a tall object falls over during print) or a huge blob of material stuck to the hot end.

[@MultitudeofRandom]

this is so well put, fantastic work

[@coreymac2381]

Great video for new users! I enjoy all your videos. Thanks for making them.

[@dovibricker3864]

Love you Tom keep doing what you doing!!

[@jawaulk]

Oh while complaining about KZbin, I forgot to say thanks Tom great video.

[@katherinemorton9126]

Thanks! Requested it last time

[@candyblow]

damn... I watched all the previous episodes just to find out that 3D printing is not user-friendly at all. hahah Thanks for sharing all the great tips and knowledge Thomas.

[@leunamtzam]

Espacialy the samples you show like at 8:40 are very usefull for beginners. Thanks for this good video!

[@NickolaTrupcheff]

Really informative and well structured. Great video, thank you!

[@kspec2001]

what a great video. now i got a checklist on what i can do to correct things ! thanks

[@cosmo9290]

Thank you, very informative, you did cover what I had a problem with but I think it's not cheap belts but worn bearings because my belts are good, again thank you for making this updated version of videos for owning a printer.👍😎👍

[@vampcaff]

i had crazy layer shift on my cr10s pro and all it ended up being was a loose stepper driver pinion gear. love this video series by the way!

[@ayushtyagi9185]

This series is better than any paid courses on Udemy teaching the basics about 3D printing.

[@GriotDNB]

Love my volcano setup. Good video!

[@thatdude5477]

love the music, love the shirt, love the tips!

[@bek8758]

this video is awesome he literally talked about all the problems i was having. and i was confused. But the video helped a lot

[@colinfielder6695]

Great information Tom, I do think that sometimes we become a little unforgiving with our cheap printers and really expect far to much from them. I think one of my problems is I am constantly trying to get them to print that little bit better when in reality the quality is pretty dam good especially for the price of the printer!

[@romen1234567890]

Wery helpful, you earned yourself place in references on my paper for uni.

[@firearmsstudent]

6:00 Something to add is a damaged heat break. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why my printer refused to print. Tried quite a few cold pulls including one where I nearly punched myself in the face when it released. (LOL) I took my E3D hotend apart to see where the hangup was and noticed the heat break was bent slighty. Replaced it and it worked much better. Also get a bondtech extruder, the one that came with my mendelmax 2.0 was crap.

[@dewexdewex]

Excellent advice. Thanks.

[@rikdenbreejen5230]

Ey Tom is back again with a basics video. I love it! I have two questions, these questions are not really widely discussed so that is why i am asking. Questions: - How does a belt rubbing on one of it's sides effect the print quality? - How do I minimize overshooting corners without linear advance.

[@devalopr]

Since Tom hasn't replied yet: 1- belt rubbing will wear out your belt (obviously) but, it probably won't have a big affect on print quality. If the drag is severe enough and your printer has high acceleration, it may cause some skipped steps 2-Tension your belts properly. If the belts are crappy, replace them! Make sure there's no mechanical play in the machine.

[@toddduffett1378]

Fantastic video, thank you

[@arne_mh]

Very good video, I'm on a 3d printing subreddit and most posts are about unfixable issues, like the visible layers

[@JT-re5ec]

I wish I could get a personal instruction session from you, thank you for your videos!

[@spammyjenkins87]

cheers Thomas. My 2015 FF Creator Pro has been collecting dust for the past year as I had a number of issues develop after almost 4 trouble-free years of printing. Finally got the motivation to get it running again and your videos helped a lot. Finally, I get serenaded to sleep again with the sound of steppers motors humming away.

[@pr0xZen]

When adjusting settings to address an issue with a printer, and you're not super familiar with all 3 - try only changing 1 setting at a time. It may take a little longer, but you'll know what change induces what and how, and learn a lot.

[@Humatra]

Thanks for the video!

[@Biz350]

Thank you Tom! Just built my first printer (Mk3s). Your videos are definitely a big inspiration. My name's also Tom 😅😂

[@KapilDev-md5uq]

Great video bro

[@GerminatorTom]

Very good video!

[@syXification]

Einfach tolle informative Videos :)

[@satina1169]

can you make a tutorial on how to 3D print a Fleshlight

[@lmaoncyaddas8131]

yeah that would be helpful

[@Mupshot]

Love the shirt. I got one very much like it in blue.

[@johnx9318]

That was very helpful, thanks. I would sit through a longer video that provided a detailed explanation for all the things that are adjustable in a slicer. I'm using Flashprint and have about 7 tabs of settings to negotiate! :)

[@pecker556]

that is a very nice shirt. thanks for the videos.

[@ronm6585]

Thank you.

[@brianwaterman8185]

wow what an extremely helpful video! Wish i would have watched this when i got my printer. Maybe i would have taken a better approach to fixing quality issues.

[@jstro-hobbytech]

You're awesome man. It must be incredibly hard to parse what data and in what depth you go. I wonder if 3d printing will ever be like a 50 dollar bubble jet. If you draw an analog to paper printers, 3d printers are still in the Fortran punch card era but improving rapidly.

[@deadelijahpool1238]

You should totally do a guest spot on "This is Rad" Podcast!!!!

[@omsingharjit]

In situation of Buying 3D printer from someone for the first time , What should i have to check first to confirm that it's Not faulty ? Can you suggest what should be the test print to Check it's Performence and Quality ? Like Hello world for the 3D Printing ?for creality ender

[@NormanTiner]

You mentioned how if you went into detail it would be a messy 2 hour video. I'm looking for that 2 hour video. A 2 hour full troubleshooting video with timestamps would be awesome

[@KillianMeehan]

Fantastic video series, Thomas! I've been printing for a while but there's always more to learn and your videos are an excellent reference. Is that an Okinawan shirt, by the way? :)

[@tinkerduck1373]

Never forget, filament degradation due to humidity should never be underestimated!

[@mikemike7001]

Finally an answer to "What could go wrong?"

[@Spoogitywoogums]

One issue I was having was filament WAY underextruding. did teaching tech's estep calibration method a ton of times, and numbers were always wildly different. I saw my filament tension wheel was barely turning, so said hey why not? Took off the wheel, gave it a drop of WD40, cleaned off the excess, and it's been printing like a champ ever since. Amount extruded is always also right on and consistent too

[@anthonyrich1592]

Be careful which "WD40" you use - the original formula was a Water Dispersant (hence the "WD") and can be slightly corrosive. Far better to use light machine oil for sliding parts (e.g.: Singer sewing machine oil) or PTFE/lithium grease for bearings.

[@Spoogitywoogums]

@@anthonyrich1592 i had some lithium grease back in the day, but all I had laying around was a can of WD40 I've had for a while and I've been broke for a while

[@merrillalbury8214]

I recently build a Prusa Mk3s clone, Bear frame and extruder modifications. Works great. Your videos are a real help. Ever think about putting in a book or dvd? Now think I may want to mod my older mk2.5s with the e3d volcano hotend but have questions as to calibration kand z height printing. Maybe a short video on the Prusa e3d mod could be in the future??

[@xxorza]

Thanks!

[@MadeWithLayers]

Thank you very much!

[@mattlogue1300]

As for peeling corners I notice on enders it's do to offset cooling air flow causing thermal gradient in print. It peels up on right side.

[@mattlogue1300]

You could redirect airflow but I prefer just avoiding problem by angling large prints so they don't contact over a large area.

[@jayedwin98020]

Would you recommend keeping your printer in a covered container/box to reduce any dust/dirt build-up?

[@EnuffsEnuff318]

Just a suggestion: Maybe sometime you can have a live stream to answer "When things go wrong" questions.

[@EnuffsEnuff318]

@@CrazyMineCuber Oh ok...then he should never do that again. That would be dumb. Thanks for the insight.

[@AnimalStomper]

Nice shirt!

[@QuinnHale]

How about improving Top Layer Quality? For me this has been the most annoying issue to resolve. In particular, I'm trying to make a few molds for silicone parts that I produce. The side walls come out decent but the top layers never look good. I've tried messing with ironing and skin layers, with little to no improvement. Any top final layer looks like the nozzle dragged over it here or there as well as leaving little lines, almost like stringing but are actually a part of that layer. It looks terrible for a finished part. So far I've only used inexpensive PLA for these molds but have a few rolls of HTPLA from proto-pasta that I'm going to try next. Currently working with a sovol sv01 and Cura. Thanks for the great videos.

[@miatakid2]

will you talk about Prusa slicer ? What about cutting thing into parts so you can make helmets or pieces lager then the printer

[@TechnologistAtWork]

There's a critical difference between prints meant to look pretty and prints that meant to be practical. Personally, I prefer to slightly increase flow and overlap to get the best adhesion. Works great for brackets and jigs but doesn't look nice for little figures.

[@TheXalam]

One more nice and intuitive video. Keeping following the next ones from the series. By the way, where can I get that skull ?

[@Nor1MAL]

I'm also wondering about that. Hope someone that knows sees this :)

[@mattlogue1300]

I had a massive layer shift and attributed to driver board.

[@BladeValant546]

The one thing I myself noticed was z off set being a very common reason with bed adhesion.

[@K4Z4Y]

Can you make a video like this one, but for resin printers and resin printing issues?

[@FrankBocker]

Is there anything other than software issues that can cause layer shifts on a delta printer? I don't see how a slipped belt or motor can cause a perfectly flat offset on a delta, but it happens to me fairly often.

[@MARCELO2756]

I had a problem with the acceleration and velocity in my printer, they were too high. for x and y axis, ended up in 200 from 500 and the z axis went from 20 to 2, that was velocity, acceleration i don´t remember exactly. they work perfectly in those for me at least.

[@BreydonsRC]

Hey Tom. I have been 3d printing for 7 years, and have a problem that has been happening for the last couple months that I just can't figure out. I'm using Simplify 3d, printer is a Creality S5, with a Microswiss hotend, Capricorn Bowden, dual gear extruder, silicone heater, etc. She's pretty well upgraded. My outermost layer isn't adhering to the next inner layer. My extrusion multiplyer is spot on. Anything I print with a large vertical wall, the outer perimeter is loose. The rest are just fine. It's just the outer layer. I cannot figure out what the heck is causing this issue. Any suggestions what I should look for? Thanks. Been a subscriber for over 6 years. Thanks for all your help.

[@3dprintnewbiemilan633]

hello Tom. I know this is off topic for today. I just started using the Prusa slicer and I can not figure out how to get it to scale uniformly. Could really use the help and today's video was awesome keep up the good work.

[@steveh1792]

Using Prusa slicer 2.1.0, look to the left side and select the Scale (S) tool, between the Move and Rotate tools. The handles at the *corners* of the model box let you scale x,y, and z axes together. The other handles only let you change one axis at a time.

[@originalmoviesuggest]

Im looking to buy an affordable 3d printer(around 300-400$) and its mostly as a hobby so i can print stuff like statues and busts and gettin to paint the and all i also live in apartment so no workshop what do you think should i get fdm or resin based printer??!

[@voldy3565]

My printer printed perfectly for three weeks, and then one day I got every single issue listed in this video.

[@anton.z2416]

Hey Thomas , Huge fan of your channel. I have 3D ender, can you address basic bed level problems. Best way to to deal with it .

[@matt309]

Get a new mattress

[@johnstratairious7936]

i have a divinci all in one pro. my FIRST layer always comes out with threaded lines...not a solid smooth bottom print. the rest of the print comes out great...but that first layer just wont lay smooth...it looks like string sitting next to one another how do i fix this. thank you.

[@ak47monster49]

I’m having layer issues with the first layer. I print a raft and it seems that it sticks to the object a lot and the object isn’t filled in on the first layer with lots of holes and looks bad

[@fedelerinaldi6720]

Hi, Im having issues printing a model which uses Boole - i connect and flatten the object in C4d , Cura sees the holes (windows in a building) , but the printer ignores the holes

[@ducttapeengineer]

Hello Thomas, I know this is two years after you posted this video, but I have had layer shift happen from the gcode file being corrupted by a faulty sd card.

[@KEEFRI]

I always seem to have some filament buildup, at first it seems fine, but then it cures and the nozzle tears the whole thing apart. What am I doing wrong?

[@kvitkamaksym]

Top!

[@91DevilDriver91]

one thing I really get annoyed with is layer separation after the print finishes. I have printed two identical parts at the same time with ASA. 255°C on the hotend, 110°C on the bed. One turned out flawless, the other got layer separation in two places. I have an enclosure and the ambient temperature is stable. Octoprint shows stable print temperatures. Everything should work out actually but it doesn't. I just can't wrap my head around it.

[@paumartinez4065]

Another reason for no extrusion can be too much retraction distance, which can wear off the filament causing a worse grip

[@anthonyrich1592]

If you're seeing filament wear on a Bowden based printer it's usually because the Bowden tube is too long or otherwise inducing too much resistance on the filament between the extruder gears and the hot end. This was a real problem for me on a Core-XY printer I had because the Bowden tube between the extruder gears and the hot end was around 850mm long. I initially replaced the original extruders (which were single gears driving against bearings) with BMG clones (which drove the filament with a gear on two sides) but I eventually gave in and eliminated all but 40mm of Bowden tubing by moving the extruders up onto the hot end assembly itself.

[@fail_fast]

Well said about hiding artifacts. It seems like half of r/FixMyPrint are posts asking for help to tune out minor defects that are inherent artifacts to the modern diy printing process. It seems unrealistic expectations and perfectly curated social media posts are not limited to the fitness industry.

[@mattlogue1300]

Help. The top surfaces are GONE. I "changed nothing" is mostly accurate. I certainly didn't touch flow. It's even apparent on 2nd layer of rafts (1st prints fine).

[@RbeccaNicole]

I have an Ender 3D printer. I had been printing great prints for awhile with little to no issues. A few days ago my printer clogged and even after cleaning the nozzle and tube and even changing the nozzle it is not printing right anymore. The nozzle keeps clogging and the print layers are stringy and break very easily. Anything I can do to fix this?

[@taylor7977]

Did you ever figure it out? I'm having the exact same problem currently.

[@motivatedcoreybrady4417]

Would anyone know how to fix mid air printing. Like under a chin or like a hanging area? Hard to explain im new to this

[@failingcargo]

leaving a comment for the algorithm

[@balls2bone]

Should've kept the Anet A8 (you disassembled) for doing terrible 3D prints! Would've probably been easier than abusing the Prusa Mini!

[@ThaiBui-yq3ts]

I have a Prusa Mk3 and never get things working. E.g. first layer comes off bed, print sticks to hot end and way more pls help

[@licensetodrive9930]

Literally I replaced the brass nozzle on my Mk3 yesterday with an E3D Nozzle X, hardened steel with unique nano coating, initial prints look better and any material that gets stuck to the outside wipes off easily with a piece of cloth when it's hot.

[@anthonyrich1592]

I usually avoid the problem by having a slow, thick first layer. e.g.: initial layer height 0.3mm; initial layer line width 250%; initial layer speed 10mm/sec. (Credit to Thomas who mentioned this "in passing" during his "Was live: Creality Ender 3 Build & First Prints!" video.) It can add a lot of time to a print job but would you rather have the print work right the first time and just wait a little longer, or keep repeating the same print because it doesn't stick properly? Also regularly cleaning the bed with a light detergent or isopropyl alcohol (if you can find any) will remove any grease you might have left behind when removing prints.

[@Alex-oh6lj]

What about when the print falls apart and looks like yarn?

[@rogg0224]

Please make more resin videos

[@MrHristoB]

Love the shirt :-D

[@deeareus9886]

#prusaLOVE

[@user-fd7vt5zx7q]

But I want the two hour video...

[@nikonissinen6772]

protip: get in touch with your printer's community.

[@Heshhion]

Wow, I want to buy a printer, but now it seems like a lot of work.. But I imagine it would be worth it :)

[@SittingDuc]

Making things can be quite satisfying. My advice first is to have an idea what you want to make after the novelty wears off. I want enclosures for arduino projects; others want cosplay costumes; others want to replace broken bicycle parts that are hard or expensive to get,and more. Second advice is, sometimes a cheaper printer is reliable, sometimes it needs work or even parts replaced. Usually a more expensive printer will have fewer issues out of the box. Quality matters. It can be very frustrating as a beginner having problems and not knowing if they are you, the machine, or the slicer. (Thanks to Tom for videos like this!). I have heard several people lament that their first printer was too cheap, and wishing they had saved up for a better one first. Third advice is, don't rush it. Watch the KZbins, read the reviews, see what others have done, find a Facebook group for the printer you like the look of and absorb knowledge. 3d printing can be frustrating. It can be difficult. And it can also be so very rewarding. :)

[@mojitomaker]

Obviously.

[@honeyy79]

Can i just kidnap you to fix my 3 printers? The bed leveling is a pain in my butt and i pull my hair out every time i try to fix it. Maybe my expectations to the printers are too high?