3D Printer Bed Leveling Issue

[Caleb SF]

I have a monoprice maker select v2. I have to manually level it. I cannot seem to print anything that requires the full bed. If it does require most of the bed or atleast stretches across most of the bed, it will not lay down the first layer well. Usually only a couple parts of it will stick. I try to level each corner in a star pattern.

 

PLA

200c extruder (small prints work well at this temperature)

60c bed

30mm/s

0.2 mm

 

I have it print 3 skirts first and the skirt fails.

 

Any fix?

[iamdarkyoshi]

If the parts aren't sticking, globally lower the head so it squishes the material into the printbed harder. Does it have an endstop adjustment?

[Caleb SF]

13 minutes ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

If the parts aren't sticking, globally lower the head so it squishes the material into the printbed harder. Does it have an endstop adjustment?

I can level the bed, the problem is that if the part is too big (not tall), only the center sticks. I don't know if the bed is bowed or

[W-L]

-Moved to Hobby Electronics- 

[manikyath]

the first party "buildtak" surface that comes with those is pretty poopy.

 

from experience with my very own wanhao (which by the way, is the company that makes your printer), here's some tips for bed leveling:

- bed level while hot, it takes out the margins of metal expanding.

- use a post-it as a "measuring device" for nozzle clearance, it's actually right about the right thickness.

- i've had good results with using glue stick to make the plastic stick better, but i've recently found the idea of wood glue diluted with water. wood glue with water also sounds less messy.

 

1 minute ago, Caleb SF said:

I can level the bed, the problem is that if the part is too big (not tall), only the center sticks. I don't know if the bed is bowed or

its the plastic shrinking as it cools, if you dont have the sticky it just peels loose and curls up.

[Caleb SF]

On 8/20/2017 at 8:53 PM, manikyath said:

the first party "buildtak" surface that comes with those is pretty poopy.

 

from experience with my very own wanhao (which by the way, is the company that makes your printer), here's some tips for bed leveling:

- bed level while hot, it takes out the margins of metal expanding.

- use a post-it as a "measuring device" for nozzle clearance, it's actually right about the right thickness.

- i've had good results with using glue stick to make the plastic stick better, but i've recently found the idea of wood glue diluted with water. wood glue with water also sounds less messy.

 

its the plastic shrinking as it cools, if you dont have the sticky it just peels loose and curls up.

I have a metal measuring tool that has like .102, .127, .156, etc. I usually use .127 when printing .2mm layer height. I'm not 100% sure if it is the plastic shrinking as it cools which is pulling it off the bed. I've tried 205, 210, and 215, at 200 i was able to print really close edges without issues, but stepping up to 205+, it wouldn't stick. The thing is, this latest print was pretty big and required most all of the build plate. The other prints were small.

[Pixel5]

it sounds like your heated bed is not flat, i would suggest getting a boro silicate glass plate, this will solve all these problems once and for all and give you a smooth bottom layer as well.

 

Bought one for my i3 Plus and its a whole other world for printing, also didn't relevel my bed in months without any issues.

[Caleb SF]

On 8/24/2017 at 9:21 AM, Pixel5 said:

it sounds like your heated bed is not flat, i would suggest getting a boro silicate glass plate, this will solve all these problems once and for all and give you a smooth bottom layer as well.

 

Bought one for my i3 Plus and its a whole other world for printing, also didn't relevel my bed in months without any issues.

Does the plate just sit on top of the other one? How do I "home all" if it has added 4+mm? How well does the heat transfer?

[Pixel5]

On 28.8.2017 at 10:45 PM, Caleb SF said:

Does the plate just sit on top of the other one? How do I "home all" if it has added 4+mm? How well does the heat transfer?

yes it just sits on top of the other one and you need to adjust your Z endstop so you dont smash the glass plate.

 

some people use heat transfer pads but this just created hotspots where the pads are, i just have it on the other plate and secure it with some small clamps on the sides for easy removal.

 

since the bed slowly heats up from zero the glass plate has time to heat up with it and by the time your hotend is at temperature the glass will be hot and ready to go.

 

some people have adhesion problems on glass but i never had issues with this, my prints stick like crazy and pop of on their own once the glass cools down.