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Should I not use retraction when printing pla? I have it set to 7 mostly, and didn't know you need a fan on the peek, my extruder would constantly clog,
I know now that I need a fan ( which is on the way )

Question, what are the recommended retraction settings for abs and should they be different for pla?
Seemed to me the retraction with pla, pulls back to much at that setting, allowing the hot pla harden in my quick release fitting, (This was the recommend setting at the bottom of the official build directions )

Wow what a pain to clean that out, even broke off the tip of the feeding tube, that was 10 times harder to remove than the pla...

Just want to bone up on my pla skills with this machine, before I get my fan,

don't want to have to do that again

Bill

I will post pics of some of my prints when I am happy with them..

If you guys want to see what I printed on my first printer, check out my website.... Even have links to all the cool stories on 3d printing ( check out 3d printed meat!! for real!!)
I have a kinect scan of my head that I printed on there too.

The site is www.physical3d.net

Bill

Bill, if you are using KISSlicer, go grab my profiles in the KISS forum. There are settings for PLA and ABS. I do use retract for PLA too. I start with the same retract settings as I do with ABS and tweak for the specific spool of PLA. In my experience, most people print PLA at too high temps, and that leads to stringing. If you are getting molten material up at your quick release fitting, you have a problem you need to fix! First, get a fan on that PEEK end. That will likely cure it. If not, you are probably printing at much too high a temperature.

Trust us, there is no printing PLA without a cool zone above the hot zone. The easiest and most reliable way to accomplish that is with a fan. Maybe the PLA vendors should just include a small fan with each roll of material

cheers,
Michael

Yes I agree with Mhackneyit's somewhat important to note that PLA will generate more strings the hotter is gets.. Unlike ABS it gets less viscous as it gets hotter, but you really want to be printing it as cool as you can such that you get consistent extrusion and good adhesion.

I do have a fan on order and I am printing only abs on this one for now....(printing pla on the replicator) So glad to finally see this machine work!!!

Thanks so much everyone!