Understanding TEMP TOWERS! - PrintFixFriday 115

Have you ever wondered what’s the point of temp towers? Should you print them, do they help you? 🤔 In today’s episode of #PrintFix we’re going through everything you need to know about printing temp towers!
Did you find this video helpful? What kinds of instructional videos like this one would you want to see in the future?
Go check out the creator in this video:
/ help_reading_this_test
DONATE to the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation!!
www.justgiving.com/campaign/s...
Cards:
Back to Basics Playlist: • Back to Basics
Qiditech X Plus 3 Unboxing: kzbin.infoNzXm5Nu3dME?...
Bed Leveling: • How To Level Your 3D P...
Getting Perfect Z-Offset: • How to get PERFECT Fir...
Making Filament at Printed Solid: • Making CUSTOM FILAMENT...
0:00 Intro
1:23 What is a Temp Tower?
2:47 Using an Example
7:15 Looking at Printing Speeds Inside of PrusaSlicer
8:04 When Not to Do a Temp Tower
8:54 Reading Your Tower
10:21 Do We Recommend Temp Towers?
12:01 The Best Type of Temp Tower?
13:29 What's Coming Up for 3D Musketeers
14:55 Outro
🎁 Support us directly on Patreon! 🧡💯 / 3dmusketeers
🎁 KZbin Channel Memberships! 🧡💯 b.link/YTmembership
🎁 Join our Discord Via Paypal (or the others)🧡💯 b.link/10Paypal
🛒 Shop Amazon with our Affiliate Code: amzn.to/3hrzVcL
🛒 Shop GreenGate3D with our Affiliate Code: b.link/GreenGate3D
🛒 Shop Prusa with our Affiliate Code: shop.prusa3d.com/#a_aid=3DM
🛒 Shop Slice Engineering with our Affiliate Link to save some 💰 💰!! b.link/Slice-Engineering
Save 💰 💰 on Zyltech Filament use code 3DM at checkout for sweet savings off your entire order: Zyltech.com code: 3DM
Want Great Royalty FREE music? Choose Epidemic Sound: b.link/EpidemicSound
____________________________________
Keep up to date by following us here!
Website: 3DMusketeers.com
Twitter: / 3d_musketeers
Facebook: / 3dmusketeers
Instagram: / 3dmusketeers
LinkedIn: / 3dmusketeers
Email: [e-mail]
#PrintFixFriday #TempTower #BacktoBasics #PLA #TestPrints #3DPrinterMaintenance #Filament #FilamentColors #3DPrintFix #PrintFix #3dprinterfix #3dmusketeers #smallbusiness #tampa #3dprinting #additivemanufacturing #fails
FTC Disclaimer: A percentage of sales is made through Affiliate links

[@donnybilbo8006]

Thanks for this info. I was totally confused on what to look for.

[@NemecJiri]

The important thing is to take the pinchers and try the strength in the z-axis. I cut into the same spot on the right and was really surprised at the difference. I recently raised the ABS print temperature by 30° because of this. The print is now glossy and the bridges don't look pretty, but the print is now rock hard.

[@3DMusketeers]

Abs should bridge well with some cooling.

[@drwoo]

What I’d like to know is: What’s the best order for the various calibration tests? I assume they are depending on each other, aren’t they? Is the proper order as listed in the OrcaSlicer Calbration Drop Down Menu, so Temperature ➔ Flow Rate ➔ Pressure Advance ➔ Retraction?

[@3DMusketeers]

that seems like a fair way to do it.

[@boboscurse4130]

Very helpful. I have some Sunlu filament that was pretty worthless before tuning. This helped.

[@3DMusketeers]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!!

[@justinchamberlin4195]

That temp tower is my favorite, with convex and concave overhangs, the bridging section with multiple lengths, the text, and the stringing/adhesion cone. I think it also does a nice job of helping eyeball flow rates (if the corners are blobby rather than square) and ghosting. My only very tiny gripe is the maker’s stamp on the bottom side…if your Z-offset isn’t dialed in well or you’re testing a filament that struggles with bed adhesion, the reduced surface area can sometimes lead to the tower popping off the bed. This version of it, though, makes me wonder if the temperature changes were set up backwards…bridging and stringing in PLA shouldn’t really get better at such high temps. I’ve done enough of these that it’s pretty easy to set up the temps without thinking too hard in both Cura and SuperSlicer, but I can see how someone could get mixed up when setting the temperature changes. Fun temp tower story of my own: back when SnoLabs had to cut back on inventory due to a failed filament dryer product launch, I picked up a spool of blue PETG for super cheap. As I recall, the recommended nozzle temp range was 225-245C and I pulled out the PETG version of this, the Smart Compact Temperature Tower. Everything from 225 on up to 265 looked horrible, though the lower temps looked better, so I openly wondered if I hadn’t gotten a mislabeled PLA spool - the next temp tower I ran seemed to confirm this, as 205 was the best temperature for the spool. It was no big deal, I got it for cheap and I honestly felt bad for the SnoLabs dude because his Raspberry PETG and Atrovirens Blue PETG colors were phenomenal (and no longer up for sale). I could make use of it as PLA just fine. So I did that, by using it in a two-color print (drawers for 3D Printy’s Rolling Storage Box, which another person who posted a make to Printables did and made it look utterly magnificent). I realized that the filament really was PETG when the blue top part cleanly and easily peeled away from the black bottom part after the print was finished…sometimes PETG can print best way colder than you or the manufacturer would expect.

[@3DMusketeers]

I thought the same thing, maybe it was backwards, but I don't know LOL

[@meisievannancy]

My petg manufacturer said 235~255C but so far 220C printed way better. I only did 250C on a 60C bed with fan off to get good stiction. Then back to 220C with fan at 40% on other layers. I even did 70% fan and it worked fine.

[@K.G1246]

This is content as I love it, high quality, much more interesting than which printer prints the fastest benchy

[@3DMusketeers]

Thanks!!

[@SkateSoup]

I do like that temp tower, though I do have to brim it occasionally with the small pointy legs. Poking the cones inside the light bulb shapes for other adhesion is always fun. I've never printed a benchy, but I would print tf out of a zoomie.

[@3DMusketeers]

yeah, a brim only takes an extra min or 2 and adds a ton of stability

[@SkateSoup]

@3DMusketeers I was playing with Orcaslicer for the first time today and saw its got an option for automatic mouse ears which is cool, worked well too.

[@kailin1496]

I use temp towers for silk filaments, they like to be extruded a bit hotter, it definitely helps with the surface sheen, and the low layer adhesion which is an inherent trait of silk filaments. Polyalchemy elixir is better (not amazing) in that regard, but the hotter temps and slower print speeds really does bring out its luster. I watched the video where you went and made your own elixir PLA, I am really happy it's coming back, now I don't have to be so frugal when using my elixir filament. Also, how can I submit a printer/print for you to look at?

[@3DMusketeers]

You can dm it to me on Twitter or email us :)

[@kailin1496]

@@3DMusketeers Thanks!

[@uujims3762]

I found out that when printing fast, temperature is preatty much useless, what is needed is a long melt zone because my filament get overheated when printing slow parts and under heated when printing the fast parts. Even running pla+ at 260c on dragon hf can’t get consistent finish. If a fast part is printed after a slow part then the filament is glossy, if anything is printed after a fast move, I will be always Matt. There dosn’t seems to be a workaround except for longer me;t zone soooo

[@Bebamyotamaki]

I agree, polyners are such a poor heat conductors that the longer heating time of the longer nozzle improves the melting sicnificantly. I have also used bondtech cht nozzle, I think that works too pretty well

[@3DMusketeers]

thats correct. unless you do something like the CHT style hotends, you just need longer melt zones to get consistent surface finishes

[@silvertube52]

I bought some Tronxy glow in the dark filament. It clogged after an hour of printing on six tries! Then I ran it above the temp recommended. I tried 225c rather than 220c. No more clogging. A temp tower won't tell you that a higher temp is needed to avoid clogging.

[@3DMusketeers]

Hopefully on a hardened nozzle!

[@3DMusketeers]

Hopefully on a hardened nozzle!

[@RoseKindred]

PLA temps can be so weird at times. I kinda stick to one brand now but my filament/printer combo I run at 180C for the gray PLA+ I use. 190C in winter in the basement. Yet when I post a print and my settings I get insulted for printing to low, but if I go higher the print looks horrid. So, I keep it low and the parts are strong. Table top terrain, a few disability aids, shelving pieces, just basic prints really. Then again I use a stock EleNeptune2S, so I bet the temps may change if I had a different printer.

[@3DMusketeers]

interesting, we find 200-210 is best for normal PLA here lol

[@meisievannancy]

​@@3DMusketeersFor strength 215C is apparently best for PLA.

[@PutTheKettleOnGromit]

When you print a Temp Tower with PC Blend CF you need to test fan speed as well. 30-40% fan after the 3rd layer is my recommendation.

[@3DMusketeers]

The fan would be on for the whole part that matters

[@uujims3762]

I have never used temp towers before, it’s always trial/error for me. To be honest, for duramic pla+ that I use, anything above 230 will print really good. (Depend of flow rate)

[@3DMusketeers]

That's also a path to take!

[@awilliams1701]

Personally I find that PLA+ is always about 10 degrees higher than normal. Or at least the ones I use.

[@3DMusketeers]

same!

[@3DRabbitHole]

Why do you ignore creality?

[@3DMusketeers]

What do you mean? We talk about creality all the time lol...

[@3DRabbitHole]

@@3DMusketeers yeah I know! That's why I thought it was a little strange when you mentioned a list of fast new printers and just ignored K1/max/C

[@3DMusketeers]

Oh, it likely wasnt on my mind. These videos are not scripted.

[@Buildonsound]

Me listening to the video during work, end of the video: my hair!! Me: what the douche?

[@3DMusketeers]

lol

[@JoeC-tt9oq]

Bring on the zoomie!

[@3DMusketeers]

Soon!!!

[@jamesm5200]

VICTORIA TEST PRINT AAAAA. (TL note: yes, I'd like that)

[@3DMusketeers]

Soon tm

[@kentsangcanada]

Someone shave Bambu lab on grant’s head😂

[@3DMusketeers]

If the top bidder wants that, so be it!

[@brock4629]

I find polyterra pla+ at 250mms likes 220

[@3DMusketeers]

It's just so weak, polyterra

Just add 1, 2..... additional instances of your tower until max flowrate is reached. Only way to have real life like test.

[@3DMusketeers]

unless they connect you would still have issues with flow, no? or is that just to increase layer times? Adding more than one basically invalidates the overhang test though I believe

[@Todestelzer]

I brake the temp tower and chose the temp depending on where it has max strength rather than looks. But I print 90% technical stuff how has to be strong.

I mostly have 500 Ratrigs : In real life, I would never print one benchies, but 10 at a time anyway... That is if I had an order for 10 benchies @@3DMusketeers I usually add instances until I get a constant flow rate around my optimum, playing with layer height. Obvioulsy it helps a lot for cooling. The temps tower must be crossed with max flow tower, PA and retractions.

[@jstro-hobbytech]

Your nick names crack me up haha

[@3DMusketeers]

that is all Editor Andrew!

[@StumblingBumblingIdiot]

I only use them on different materials now, i.e. silk, abs, etc but once I have a general temp I don't bother. Like PLA and PLA+ 205/60 for normal speeds up to 150mm/s and at 250mm/s I will up it to 210 sometimes and it prints just fine. Too much to test on every brand and color I have as I have at least 50 open myself.

[@3DMusketeers]

Yeah at some point the settings will generalize across the materials.

[@wktodd]

Dress warm it's getting cold over here.

[@3DMusketeers]

It was very cold. Did my best. Worth it.

[@wktodd]

@@3DMusketeers you're a good man Grant 😀